Regulation of putrescine export in lipopolysaccharide or IFN-gamma-activated murine monocytic-leukemic RAW 264 cells.

The regulation of putrescine/polyamine export out of the cell was investigated during activation of monocytic-leukemic RAW 264 cells with LPS and IFN-gamma. The RAW 264 cells exported putrescine constitutively at a significant rate into the culture medium. This export process appeared to be selective for putrescine in that only a small amount of other polyamines (spermidine and N1-acetylspermidine) was found in the culture medium. LPS and IFN-gamma alone and in combination markedly stimulated putrescine export and nitrite production throughout a 24-h period. The efflux of putrescine but not nitrite was further increased by the addition of ornithine (the amino acid precursor of putrescine) to the culture medium. LPS and ornithine also stimulated the intracellular accumulation of putrescine in primary inflammatory macrophages and the export of putrescine into the peritoneal exudate of the mouse. A detailed comparison of the steady state rates of accumulation of intracellular putrescine/polyamines and the rate of putrescine efflux from the cells constitutively and after LPS, IFN-gamma, and ornithine indicated that a surprisingly large fraction of total polyamine biosynthesis is comprised of exported putrescine. The observed dose-dependent inhibition of putrescine export with the drug verapamil implicated the involvement of a specific membrane transport system sensitive to calcium influx in this process. The data are discussed in regard to the potential involvement of putrescine export in the regulation of intracellular polyamine levels, cell differentiation, and macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity.