Effects of venoms on neutrophil respiratory burst: a major inflammatory function.
J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2021;
27:e20200179. [PMID:
34249119 PMCID:
PMC8237995 DOI:
10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2020-0179]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils play a pivotal role in innate immunity and in the inflammatory
response. Neutrophils are very motile cells that are rapidly recruited to the
inflammatory site as the body first line of defense. Their bactericidal activity
is due to the release into the phagocytic vacuole, called phagosome, of several
toxic molecules directed against microbes. Neutrophil stimulation induces
release of this arsenal into the phagosome and induces the assembly at the
membrane of subunits of the NAPDH oxidase, the enzyme responsible for the
production of superoxide anion that gives rise to other reactive oxygen species
(ROS), a process called respiratory burst. Altogether, they are responsible for
the bactericidal activity of the neutrophils. Excessive activation of
neutrophils can lead to extensive release of these toxic agents, inducing tissue
injury and the inflammatory reaction. Envenomation, caused by different animal
species (bees, wasps, scorpions, snakes etc.), is well known to induce a local
and acute inflammatory reaction, characterized by recruitment and activation of
leukocytes and the release of several inflammatory mediators, including
prostaglandins and cytokines. Venoms contain several molecules such as enzymes
(phospholipase A2, L-amino acid oxidase and proteases, among others) and
peptides (disintegrins, mastoporan, parabutoporin etc.). These molecules are
able to stimulate or inhibit ROS production by neutrophils. The present review
article gives a general overview of the main neutrophil functions focusing on
ROS production and summarizes how venoms and venom molecules can affect this
function.
Collapse