Extracellular Acidification Acts as a Key Modulator of Neutrophil Apoptosis and Functions

PLoS One. 2015 Sep 4;10(9):e0137221. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137221. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

In human pathological conditions, the acidification of local environment is a frequent feature, such as tumor and inflammation. As the pH of microenvironment alters, the functions of immune cells are about to change. It makes the extracellular acidification a key modulator of innate immunity. Here we detected the impact of extracellular acidification on neutrophil apoptosis and functions, including cell death, respiratory burst, migration and phagocytosis. As a result, we found that under the acid environment, neutrophil apoptosis delayed, respiratory burst inhibited, polarization augmented, chemotaxis differed, endocytosis enhanced and bacteria killing suppressed. These findings suggested that extracellular acidification acts as a key regulator of neutrophil apoptosis and functions.

MeSH terms

  • Actins / genetics
  • Actins / immunology
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / immunology*
  • Caspase 3 / genetics
  • Caspase 3 / immunology
  • Chemotaxis / drug effects
  • Chemotaxis / immunology*
  • Escherichia coli / immunology
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Immunity, Innate
  • N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / pharmacology
  • Neutrophils / cytology
  • Neutrophils / drug effects
  • Neutrophils / immunology*
  • Phagocytosis / drug effects
  • Phosphorylation
  • Primary Cell Culture
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / immunology
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / immunology
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
  • Respiratory Burst / drug effects
  • Respiratory Burst / immunology*
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Actins
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Caspase 3

Grants and funding

The authors have no support or funding to report.