In monocytes, sulfatide, a lipid from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, blocked priming for enhanced release of superoxide (02-) by the macrophage activating factors lipopolysaccharide, gamma interferon, interleukin-l1 (IL-1,), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), and muramyl dipeptide. Sulfatide, in the presence of lipopolysaccharide, also caused increased secretion of IL-1I and TNF-oa into monocyte culture medium. Sulfatide altered the pattern of phosphorylation of monocyte proteins. Cell lysates prepared from monocytes treated with sulfatide showed decreased activity of protein kinase C, but sulfatide did not directly inhibit protein kinase C activity when added to lysates. A known inhibitor of protein kinase C, staurosporine, also inhibited 02 release and caused increased secretion of IL-1,B. Thus, sulfatide appeared to indirectly affect protein kinase C, implicating protein kinase C as part of the mechanism of priming. Because sulfatide blocked priming for enhanced release of 02which could interfere with monocyte bactericidal activity, while causing enhanced secretion of IL-1, and TNF-a, which could promote formation of granulomata, sulfatide might be an important factor in the pathogenesis of M. tuberculosis.

We studied the effect of a potent inhibitor of protein kinase C, polymyxin B (PMXB), on superoxide anion (O2-) release by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL). PMXB was compared with another inhibitor of protein kinase C, 1-(5-isoquinoline-sulfonyl)-2-methyl piperazine (H-7). Both PMXB and H-7 inhibited phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated O2- release. Formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP)-stimulated O2- release by cytochalasin B-treated PMNL was not inhibited significantly by either PMXB or H-7. 1-Oleoyl-2-acetyl-glycerol (OAG,25-100 microM) stimulated PMNL to release O2- with a long lag-time (8-10 min). Although H-7 inhibited OAG-stimulated O2- release, PMXB augmented the OAG-stimulated response by increasing rate and reducing lag time. The augmenting effect of PMXB was evident only when added after stimulation by OAG, with maximum effect observed at 3 min after addition of OAG. The augmenting effect was also seen with PMXB immobilized on agarose beads. PMXB did not affect the respiratory burst response to 1,2-dioctanoylglycerol. PMXB-augmented, OAG-stimulated O2- release was inhibited by the addition of H-7 before OAG. In contrast to the effect on O2- release, OAG-stimulated protein phosphorylation was inhibited similarly by either PMXB or H-7, when these agents were added 3 min after stimulation by OAG. These results suggested that initial activation of protein kinase C by OAG is essential for O2- release, but that PMXB acts in a manner independent from protein kinase C to augment OAG-stimulated O2- release. When priming by OAG for enhanced O2- release (as opposed to direct stimulation of O2- release) in FMLP-stimulated PMNL was examined, PMXB inhibited O2- release in OAG-primed PMNL, suggesting that protein kinase C is involved in priming of PMNL by OAG.