Abstract
Rat pleurisy was induced by intrapleural injection of 2 % λ-carrageenin. Complement titers were measured by Lachmann's method (50% hemolysis, CH 50), using EAC142, which was made by preincubation of erythrocytes with zymosan-treated serum. In vitro incubation of 0.2 and 0.4% carrageenin with serum decreased the residual CH50 values doseand time-dependently. Complement titers in pleural exudate, expressed in terms of mg protein, was lower than those in serum in the whole course and it was concluded that complement was activated in the pleural cavity. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) increased their numbers rapidly up to 5 hr and stayed at the same level thereafter, whereas mononuclear cell number increased gradually up to 24 hr. Using dexamethasone [sharing arachidonic acid (AA) release inhibition], benoxaprofen (a lipoxygenase inhibitor with a weak cyclooxygenase inhibitor) and K-76COONa (an inhibitor of complement activation), it could be concluded that PMN migration during the first 3-7 hr may be attributable to complement and AA metabolites, but no involvement of AA metabolites was conceivable in the 14-19 hr pereiod. Mononuclear cell migration in the beginning (3-5 hr) might not be induced by neither complement nor AA metabolites, except 7 hr, in which lipoxygenase products might be involved. Benoxaprofen inhibited mononuclear cell migration in 14-19 hr period.
