Abstract.
To investigate the role of autologous serum components in the recognition of damaged cells by macrophages, we examined the binding and phagocytosis of damage oxidatively damaged red blood cells with Cu2+ and ascorbate (oxRBCs) by autologous resident mouse peritoneal macrophages. The binding of oxRBCs by macrophages was independent of the presence of serum. However, phagocytosis by macrophages increased with serum concentration, and macrophages showed little ingestion of oxRBCs in a serum-free medium. Macrophages neither bound nor appreciably ingested native RBCs (before oxidation) in either the absence or presence of autologous serum. Mouse macrophages ingested significantly more native as well as oxRBCs in the presence of heat-inactivated fetal calf serum than in the presence of heat-inactivated mouse serum. Pretreated oxRBCs with normal serum were rarely ingested by macrophages in a serum-free medium. Phagocytosis of oxRBCs was significantly inhibited by depletion of IgG or calcium from serum, by heat inactivation of complement, or by antiserum against mouse C3. These results demonstrate that serum components such as IgG, C3, and calcium are involved in phagocytosis of oxRBCs by autologous macrophages.
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Received 31 May 2001; received after revision 16 July 2001; accepted 30 August 2001
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Tanaka, K., Usui, Y. & Kojo, S. Role of serum components in the binding and phagocytosis of oxidatively damaged erythrocytes by autologous mouse macrophages. CMLS, Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 58, 1727–1733 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00000811
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00000811