Immunopharmacological Activity of Calcitriol Pre-Treated RAW264.7 Cell Line Stimulated by Phorbol 12-Myristate13-Acetate (PMA) and Formyl-Methionyl-Leucyl-Phenylalanine (FMLP) Agonist

Abstract

The study investigates the effect of calcitriol treatment on oxygen consumption rate as generated by agonist stimulation of RAW 264.7 cell lines and its usefulness in eliciting reduced oxygen consumption in high respiratory burst-dependent disease state. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and Formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) were used to artificially stimulate oxygen consumption in cultured pro-monocytic RAW264.7 cell line. Samples of the cultured cells were previously prepared with calcitriol (1, 25- Dihydroxyvitamin D3) followed by a 72-hour incubation period. The percentage oxygen consumption was measured using the Clark oxygen electrode. There was a significant increase in oxygen consumption in FMLP treated cells (P<0.05) when compared with the PMA and the control groups. The PMA calcitriol-treated cells showed 24% oxygen consumption rate more than the control while FMLP treated cells was 57% higher. The result demonstrated that calcitriol, a known stimulant used to prep most cells for agonists stimulation of oxygen consumption may serve as a physiological moderator of oxygen consumption in immune cells when co-administered with agonist (PMA and/or FMLP). This may result to increased pathogen attack in a diseased state.