The effect of sensory irritants on phagocytosis by pulmonary macrophages

The phagocytosis of Staphylococcus epidermis by rabbit alveolar macrophages was measured in the absence or presence of a series of sensory irritants. The phagocytic index was determined in the presence of the sensory irritant dibenzoxazepine and 10 of its derivatives. All of the compounds tested inhibited phagocytosis to some extent. Dibenzoxazepine was the most potent inhibitor and the 1-chloro and 2-chloro derivatives were the least potent. With all the compounds tested, the inhibition of phagocytosis was dose dependent. The degree of inhibition of phagocytosis was not correlated with either the nature or the position of the substituent groups on the dibenzoxazepine molecule. There was no discernible relationship between the inhibition of phagocytosis and the irritancy of the compounds tested.