Vascular atherosclerotic disease: Behaviour of the polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) filtration parameters,PMN membrane fluidity and PMN cytosolic Ca 2+ content after chemotactic activation

In a group of subjects with vascular atherosclerotic disease (VAD) and in a group of normal controls we evaluated, at baseline and after in vitro chemotactic activation (prolonged for 5 and 15 min) with two stimulating agents (PMA and fMLP), the polymorphonuclear (PMN) filtration parameters, PMN membrane fluidity and PMN cytosolic Ca²⁺ content. We determined the PMN filtration parameters using the St. George's Filtrometer and considering respectively the initial relative flow rate (IRFR) and the clogging particles (CP), the PMN membrane fluidity, employing the fluorescent probe TMA-DPH, and the PMN cytosolic Ca²⁺ content adopting the fluorescent probe Fura 2-AM. In normals and in VAD subjects, after PMN activation with PMA and fMLP, a significant variation was evident in all filtration parameters at 5 and 15 min; no important variation was present in PMN membrane fluidity and in PMN cytosolic Ca²⁺ content. Between normals and VAD subjects no difference was evident regarding the trend of PMN filtration parameters, PMN membrane fluidity and PMN cytosolic Ca²⁺ content.