The effects of aging on the function of alveolar macrophages in mice

• Published in: Mechanisms of ageing and development Vol. 69; no. 3; p. 207
• Main Authors: Higashimoto, Y, Fukuchi, Y, Shimada, Y, Ishida, K, Ohata, M, Furuse, T, Shu, C, Teramoto, S, Matsuse, T, Sudo, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland 01-07-1993
• Subjects: Aging - metabolism; Aging - physiology; Animals; Antigens, Surface - metabolism; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid - cytology; Cell Count; Latex; Macrophages, Alveolar - metabolism; Macrophages, Alveolar - physiology; Mice; Microspheres; Phagocytes - physiology; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis
• ISSN: 0047-6374
• DOI: 10.1016/0047-6374(93)90024-L

In order to determine whether the function of alveolar macrophages (AM) is modulated by aging, we measured the TNF-alpha production, phagocytic function, and surface antigen expression of AM from young and old mice. When AM were primed by IFN-gamma (500 units/ml) and triggered by LPS (100 micrograms/ml), TNF-alpha production by AM was significantly smaller in old mice as compared with young mice (young mice: 161.7 +/- 28.2 units/ml; old mice: 89.3 +/- 13.6 units/ml, P < 0.05). The percentage of AM which phagocytosed latex particles (more than one particle) in old mice was significantly lower than in young mice (young: 78.1 +/- 2.5%; old: 62.8 +/- 3.4%, P < 0.05). Ia antigen expression of the AM was significantly higher and asialo-GM1 antigen expression was significantly lower in old mice than in young mice (Ia: young, 0.030 +/- 0.005; old, 0.092 +/- 0.024, P < 0.05; asialo-GM1: young, 0.-9 +/- 0.01; old, 0.75 +/- 0.07, P < 0.01). These results suggest that alveolar macrophage function is at least decreased in part with aging in mice.