Effect of ionic sites of surfactants on leukocyte metabolism.

The effect of ionic and nonionic surfactants on the metabolism of leukocytes was studied. Among anionic surfactants, sodium laurylsulfate, sodium laurate, and sodium lauroyllactate stimulated oxygen uptake and glucose oxidation through the hexose monophosphate pathway. The magnitude of the effect of anionic surfactants seemed to be related to the electrostatic strength of the ionic site of each compound. Cationic, amphoteric, and nonionic surfactants were inhibitory to leukocyte metabolism.