INVITRO EVALUATION OF CERTAIN NEUTROPHIL AND LYMPHOCYTE FUNCTIONS FOLLOWING THE INGESTION OF 150-MG ORAL DOSE OF LEVAMISOLE - ASSESSMENT OF THE EXTENT AND DURATION OF STIMULATION OF NEUTROPHIL CHEMOTAXIS, PROTEIN IODINATION AND LYMPHOCYTE-TRANSFORMATION

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  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 35  (3) , 478-483
Abstract
Certain functions of human blood neutrophils and lymphocytes were investigated at varying time intervals after the ingestion of a single 150 mg dose of levamisole. The functions tested were neutrophil chemotaxis and post-phagocytic metabolic activity and mitogen-induced DNA and protein synthesis of lymphocytes. Levamisole caused a stimulation of neutrophil motility (cell- and serum-associated) and post-phagocytic hexose monophosphate shunt activity and protein iodination. Increased lymphocyte DNA synthesis, but not protein synthesis, to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin was observed. The stimulation which was detected almost immediately of these neutrophil and lymphocyte functions was still evident 24 h later but not at 48 h, indicating that a single oral dose of levamisole can cause the alteration (stimulation) of leukocyte functions which persists until 24-48 h after intake of the drug.