Kinetics of nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide production and formation of peroxynitrite during the respiratory burst of human neutrophils

Nitric oxide (.NO) release, oxygen uptake and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production elicited by increasing phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) concentrations were measured in human neutrophils. Half-maximal activities were sequentially elicited at about 0.0001-0.001 micrograms PMA/ml (.NO) and 0.001-0.01 micrograms PMA/ml (H2O2). At saturated PMA concentrations, .NO production, oxygen uptake and H2O2 release were 0.56 +/- 0.04, 3.32 +/- 0.52 and 1.19 +/- 0.17 nmol.min-1.10(6) cells-1. .NO production accounts for about 30% of the total oxygen uptake. Luminol-dependent chemiluminescence, reported to detect NO reactions in other inflammatory cells, was also half-maximally activated at about 0.001-0.01 micrograms PMA/ml. Preincubation with NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) decreased O2 uptake and .NO release but increased H2O2 production, while superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased .NO detection by 30%. Chemiluminescence was also reduced by preincubation with L-NMMA and/or SOD. The results indicate that .NO release is part of the integrated response of stimulated human neutrophils and that, in these cells, kinetics of .NO and O2.- release favour the formation of other oxidants like peroxynitrite.