Production of inositol phosphates and reactive oxygen metabolites in quartz‐dust‐stimulated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Abstract

The present paper explores phosphoinositide turnover in quartz‐stimulated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Separation of inositol phosphates was carried out with a new ion‐pair, reverse‐phase high performance liquid chromatographic method applying a gentle tetrabutylammonium phosphate buffer gradient. The method separates inositol monophosphates, inositol 1,4‐bisphosphate, inositol trisphosphates and inositol 1,3,4,5‐tetrakisphosphate. Reactive oxygen metabolites, indices for leukocyte activation, were measured with a luminometric assay. Quartz increased the production of reactive oxygen metabolites, preceded by facilitated inositol phosphate turnover. This finding provides evidence that inositol phosphate second messengers may be involved in quartz‐induced leukocyte activation and subsequent production of reactive oxygen metabolites.