Different regulation of the formation of intra- and extracellular oxygen radicals in macrophages.

The formation and accumulation of reactive oxygen species within liver macrophages and their release into the medium were determined by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence, the reduction of cytochrome c, the formation of formazan from nitroblue tetrazolium and the fluorescence of 5- (and 6)-carboxy-2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein. Zymosan, phorbol ester and fluoride induced the formation and accumulation of oxygen radicals intra- and extracellularly, ionomycin and lipopolysaccharide led to an intracellular accumulation of oxygen radicals, while after arachidonic acid and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, no reactive oxygen species were formed. While zymosan and phorbol ester predominantly induced the formation and release of superoxide, hydroperoxide was the main form released by fluoride. These results indicate that agents of different biological potencies induce reactive oxygen species within and/or outside liver macrophages and that different techniques must be used to detect different oxygen species within and outside cells.