Arachidonate metabolism triggered in primed macrophages by signals inducing antitumor activity

Abstract

The acquisition of antitumoral functions by mouse peritoneal macrophages is controlled by the addition of activating agents (lipopolysaccharide (LPS), muramyldipeptide (MDP) or A23187), on appropriately primed macrophages. The release of eicosanoids during this activation step was examined by radio-HPLC. We demonstrated that the induction of antitumor activity in primed macrophages by LPS or MDP was associated with the release of 20:4 derivatives; arachidonic acid was metabolized predominantly via the cyclooxygenase pathway to PGE2 and thromboxane. The production of PGE2, quantified by an enzyme immunoassay, was sustained and important (up to 20 ng/ml/h/10(6) macrophages). However, PGE2 and thromboxane did not seem essential to the activation process: induction of antitumor activity took place and was even enhanced in the presence of indomethacin, whereas it was decreased by exogenous PGE2. During culture in vitro, primed macrophages released spontaneously significant amounts of 20:4 metabolites and became unresponsive to activation stimuli. Again indomethacin had a positive effect: it protected primed macrophages against this loss of activability. Cyclooxygenase metabolites released in response to activating stimuli or spontaneously seem to trigger deactivation pathways.