Showing papers by "Maros Ferencik published in 1979"
TL;DR: The most significant biochemical change is the metabolic activation of phagocytes which is accompanied by the generation of reactive molecules during oxygen reduction and by the release of the lysosome content.
Abstract: Phagocytosis appears to be a complex phenomenon composed of several closely linked and mutually conditioned steps, as shown in Fig. 1. The course of phagocytosis can be characterized by morphological and biochemical changes (Klebanoff 1975; Stossel 1975; Sbarra et al. 1976; Goren 1977; Feren6ik and Stefanovi6 1977). Among the morphological changes, the most important is the formation of the phagocytic vacuole and phagolysosome. The most significant biochemical change is the metabolic activation of phagocytes which is accompanied by the generation of reactive molecules during oxygen reduction and by the release of the lysosome content. The basic biological function of phagocytes is the uptake, killing, degradation, and removal of foreign cells or molecules including the "self", but antigenically altered material. Completion of this function is to a high degree dependent on the equipment and functional activity of lysosomal enzymes. It seems that the lysosomal apparatus is an universal, ubiquitous structure of all eukaryotic cells. However, the lysosomes of leukocytes posses -in comparison to lysosomes of other cells -some specific features. Both the biochemical equipment and their designation are different. The lysosomes of leukocytes are called "granules"; this term originates from the period when cells were studied mainly morphologically. Lysosomal enzymes of leukocytes are therefore often called "granular" enzymes. Most granules with appropriate enzymes are found in the professional phagocytes, i.e. polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes and cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system (blood monocytes and tissue macrophages). It is necessary to stress that not all granules belong to typical lysosomes. Besides hydrolytic enzymes, which are the characteristic component of all lysosomes, the granules contain several substances possessing an antimicrobial activity and a number of mediators which participate in the control of the inflammatory response of the organism.
11 citations