Chemotactic activity of pertussis toxin on murine lymphocytes. Its potential role on lymphocyte accumulation in the lung

Abstract The effects of pertussis toxin on lymphocyte migration were studied in vitro. In this study pertussis toxin significantly stimulated lymphocyte migration at concentrations of 0.1 and 1 μg ml^?1 using a microchamber and the leading-front method. Checkerboard analysis demonstrated that pertussis toxin causes directed migration of lymphocytes (chemotaxis). Heat-treatment of pertussis toxin abolished its capacity to cause this migration. When murine lymphocytes were preincubated with different concentrations of pertussis toxin, an inhibition of chemotaxis at the dosages of 0.1 and 1 μg ml^?1 was observed. On the other hand, lymphocytes derived from mice treated with pertussis toxin were not inhibited after subsequent exposure to pertussis toxin in vitro. Since lymphocyte accumulation in the lungs of mice treated with pertussis toxin has been well domenstrated, the results of our study could suggest a chemotactic activity of pertussis toxin in determining accumulation of lymphocytes in this organ.