Modulatory effects of buffalo basic and acidic uterine luminal proteins phagocytic and bactericidal activities of polymorphonuclear-and mononuclear leukocytes in vitro

Potential immunological effects of basic and acidic uterine luminal proteins [ULP] collected from estrus-and luteal-phase buffalos were studied in vitro. The phagocytic and microbicidal activities of PMN macrophages and superoxide anion production by PMN were elucidated. Estrus-phase basic and acidic ULP collected from buffalos enhanced phagocytic activity of PMN at all concentrations tested; whereas, basic and acidic ULP of luteal-phase buffalos suppressed phagocytic activity in a dose-dependent manner. The bactericidal activity of buffalo PMN increased in response to basic ULP of estrus-phase buffalos in comparison with basic luteal-phase proteins. Meanwhile, acidic ULP proteins of estrus-phase buffalos showed significant increase in bactericidal activity only at 40, 80 and 150 mug/ml protein concentrations, in contrast to acidic ULP of luteal-phase buffalos. Nitric oxide production by macrophages increased in response to basic ULP of estrus-phase buffalos, whereas this activity decreased when macrophages were treated with different concentrations of basic ULP of luteal-phase buffalos. Only at high concentrations, the acidic protein of estrus-phase buffalos increased nitric production by macrophages as compared with acidic protein from luteal-phase buffalos. Superoxide anion production by neutrophils increased in response to basic and acidic ULP of estrus-phase buffalos and decreased in response to acidic proteins from luteal-phase buffalos