[Influence of the activation of the immune system cells on the parameters of lipid metabolism in macrophages].

The influence of tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-alpha) and media, conditioned by activated macrophages and lymphocytes and containing a complex of biologically active compounds (including cytokines), on the parameters of lipid metabolism in macrophages was studied. The addition of recombinant TNF-alpha and immunocompetent cell-conditioned media to mouse peritoneal macrophages culture stimulated labelled oleate incorporation into cholesterol esters and triglycerides, as well as labelled glycerine incorporation into cholesterol esters, but inhibited labelled cholesterol incorporation into cholesterol esters. One of the mechanisms of the influence of activated immunocompetent cells on cholesterol metabolism in macrophages was, supposedly, the stimulation of sphigmomyelinase activity by a complex of anti-inflammatory cytokines produced by these cells on their activation.

[Effect of stimulation and inhibition of macrophage functions on hypercholesterolemia in rats].

In this study we investigated the effects of zymosan and prodigiozan, the macrophage stimulators, and GdCl3, a macrophage inhibitor, on blood lipoprotein composition, activities of liver cholesterly ester (CE) metabolising enzymes, incorporation of [14C]cholesterol (C) into bile acids and accumulation and synthesis of CE in peritoneal macrophages (PM) of rats fed with C-enriched diet for 7 days. The increase of number of phagocyte cells quantity in liver and blood colony-stimulating activity in rats pretreated with intravenous injection of zymosan and prodigiozan was accompanied by reduced C content in blood low density and very low density lipoproteins (LDL and VLDL), increase of liver lysosomal CE hydrolase activity (without change of acyl-CoA:C acyltransferase and cytoplasmatic CE hydrolase activities) and incorporation of labeled C into bile acids and decrease of CE formation and accumulation in PM in rats with hypercholesterolemia. In contrast, reduction of phagocyte population in liver caused by intravenous injection of GdCl3 was accompanied by enhancement of C and CE level in blood LDL and VLDL and decrease of lysosomal CE hydrolase activity and incorporation of C into bile acids in liver of C-feeding rats.

[Functional restructurings of the mononuclear phagocyte system in experimental liver cirrhosis].

In rats with CCl4-induced liver cirrhosis the clearance rate of colloid carbon particles was more than 2 times lower than in control animals. Simultaneously the uptake capacity of liver Kupffer calls falls. The number of phagocytizing liver macrophages decreased.