Effects of poly(ethyleneglycol)-modified hemoglobin vesicles on N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-induced responses of polymorphonuclear neutrophils in vitro

[Poly(ethyleneglycol)]-modified hemoglobin vesicles (PEG-HbV), a type of encapsulated hemoglobin, have been developed as artificial oxygen carriers and it is important to evaluate their blood compatibility. We studied the effects of PEG-HbV on human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in vitro, focusing on the functional responses to N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) as an agonist. The pretreatment of the PMNs with PEG-HbV up to a concentration of 60 mg/dl Hb did not affect the fMLP-triggered chemotactic activity. In parallel to these results, the fMLP-induced upregulation of CD11b (Mac-1) levels on the PEG-HbV-pretreated PMNs was comparable to that of untreated cells. Furthermore, the pretreatment of the PMNs with the PEG-HbV even at 600 mg/dl Hb did not affect the gelatinase B (Matrix methalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9)) release, suggesting that the fMLP-induced release of secondary and tertiary granules was normal. In addition, the fMLP-triggered superoxide production of the PMNs was unchanged by the pretreatment with the PEG-HbV at 600 mg/dl Hb. Thus, these results suggest that PEG-HbV, at the concentrations studied, have no aberrant effects on the fMLP-triggered functions of human PMNs.