This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wenisch, C. Articles by Graninger, W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wenisch, C. Articles by Graninger, W.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, 07 1996, 423-428, Vol 3, No. 4
Copyright © 1996 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

High-dose catecholamine treatment decreases polymorphonuclear leukocyte phagocytic capacity and reactive oxygen production

C Wenisch, B Parschalk, A Weiss, K Zedwitz-Liebenstein, B Hahsler, H Wenisch, A Georgopoulos and W Graninger
Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Vienna, Austria.

Flow cytometry was used to study phagocytic function (uptake of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled bacteria) and release of reactive oxygen products (dihydrorhodamine 123 converted to rhodamine 123) following phagocytosis by neutrophil granulocytes of heparinized whole blood treated with adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine, dobutamine, or orciprenaline. Reduced neutrophil phagocytosis and reactive oxygen production were seen at 12 micrograms of adrenaline per liter (72% each compared with control values); at 120 micrograms of noradrenaline (72% each), dobutamine (83 and 80%, respectively), and orciprenaline (81 and 80%, respectively) per liter; and at 100 micrograms of dopamine per liter (66 and 70%) (P < 0.05 for all). At these dosages, neutrophil chemotaxis was reduced to < 50% of control values for all catecholamines. Treatment with catecholamines at lower dosages had no significant effect on phagocytosis or generation of reactive oxygen products or chemotaxis. The phagocytic capacity of granulocytes was related to the generation of reactive oxygen products (r = 0.789; P < 0.05). The results demonstrate that catecholamines have a suppressive effect on the response of phagocytic cells to bacterial pathogens at high therapeutic levels in blood.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Horn, N. A., Anastase, D. M., Hecker, K. E., Baumert, J. H., Robitzsch, T., Rossaint, R. (2005). Epinephrine Enhances Platelet-Neutrophil Adhesion in Whole Blood In Vitro. Anesth. Analg. 100: 520-526 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rincon, E. O., Marchena, J. M., Garcia, J. J., Schmidt, A., Schulz, T., Malpica, I., Rodriguez, A. B., Barriga, C., Michna, H., Lotzerich, H. (2001). Phagocytic function in cyclists: correlation with catecholamines and cortisol. J. Appl. Physiol. 91: 1067-1072 [Abstract] [Full Text]