EFFECT OF PSORALEN + ULTRAVIOLET-A ON THE CHEMOTACTIC ACTIVITY OF POLYMORPHONUCLEAR NEUTROPHILS TOWARDS ANAPHYLATOXIN C5A DES ARG

It was shown that psoralen + UV-A inhibits the chemotactic activity of polymorphonuclear neutrophils towards anaphylatoxin C5a des Arg. This reaction required oxygen and there is a high possibility that the active oxygen species was in a singlet state. Oxygen did not act directly on C5a des Arg, but rather produced oxidized psoralen which inhibited C5a des Arg activity. The effect was dependent on the concentration and types of psoralen and on the UV-A dose. Among the psoralens. the inhibitory effect of 4,5',8-trimethylpsoralen was the strongest. followed by 8-methoxypsoralen and 3-carbethoxypsoralen and finally 4,4',6-trimethylangelicin. Psoralen + UV-A failed to inhibit the chemotactic activity towards chemotactants other than anaphylatoxin C5a such as casein, the cultured filtrate of E. coli, platelet-activating factor, leukotriene B4, 5-hydroxy-6,8,11.14-eicosatetraenoic acid and 12-L-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic acid.