Ion at 3 h as a percentage of cell adhesion at 24 h after PMA stimulation in cultures maintained in 18 O2 versus 5 O2 in the ML-264 chemical information presence or Madrasin site absence of 2-ME and serum. Relative to cultures exposed to 18 O2, differentiation was significantly accelerated at 3 h in cultures exposed to 5 O2 (Fig. 3). Under either oxygen tension, removal of 2-ME had no effect on cell adhesion at 3 h relative to cultures grown under standard culture conditions; however, removal of both 2-ME and serum significantly increased cell adhesion at 3 h (Fig. 3). Undifferentiated THP-1 cells that were not PMA-stimulated did not adhere when 1531364 grown in serum free media for extended periods (data not shown).Oxygen Tension does not Affect Proliferation of Undifferentiated THP-1 cellsA principal characteristic of undifferentiated THP-1 cells is their ability to proliferate in culture. Thus, we initially determined the influence of oxygen tension, 2-ME and serum on the proliferation of undifferentiated THP-1 cells. Specifically, we determined the percent increase in cell number at 24 and 48 h after synchronization in cultures maintained under 18 (hyperoxic) versus 5 (normoxic) O2 in the absence or presence of 2-ME and serum (Fig. 1). Across all treatment groups, the percent increase in cellOxygen Tension Influences THP-1 Cell PhysiologyFigure 1. Influence of O2 tension, 2-ME and serum on proliferation of undifferentiated THP-1 cells. Monocytic THP-1 cells were synchronized by serum deprivation for 48 h and then cultured in hyperoxic (18 O2) or normoxic (5 O2) with or without 2-ME and/or FBS. Cell density was determined using a hemocytometer at 24 h (A) and 48 h (B) after synchronization. Data are presented as the mean 6 SEM (n = 5 independent experiments). *Significantly different from cultures with 2-ME and FBS under the same oxygen tension at p,0.05 (one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s test). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054926.gOxygen Tension, 2-ME and Serum Influence bhexosaminidase Release from Differentiated THP-1 CellsCritical to innate immune function is the constitutive release [22,23] from macrophages of the lysosomal enzyme b-hexosaminidase [24]. To assess the effects of culture conditions on this macrophage function, we quantified both secreted and intracellular amounts of b-hexosaminidase in PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells cultured in 18 O2 versus 5 O2 in the absence or presence of 2-ME and serum. PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells released detectable quantities of b-hexosaminidase into the medium during 24 and 48 h of culture (Fig. 4A, B). This release was not dependent on stimulation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (data not shown), but itwas influenced by oxygen tension, 2-ME and serum. The amount of b-hexosaminidase in the medium at 24 h was significantly decreased in cultures exposed to 5 O2 relative to 18 O2 in the presence of both 2-ME and serum or serum alone (Fig. 4A). However, by 48 h, this influence of oxygen tension on bhexosaminidase release was no longer apparent (Fig. 4B). bHexosaminidase levels in the medium were also reduced by removal of both 2-ME and serum (Fig. 4A, B). While this effect was observed under both oxygen tension conditions and at both 24 and 48 h, it reached statistical significance only at the 24 h time point and only in cultures exposed to 18 O2. To investigate whether the reduced b-hexosaminidase in the medium was due to decreased intracellular levels of b-hexosamin-Figure 2. Influence of O2 tension, 2-ME and serum on the metaboli.Ion at 3 h as a percentage of cell adhesion at 24 h after PMA stimulation in cultures maintained in 18 O2 versus 5 O2 in the presence or absence of 2-ME and serum. Relative to cultures exposed to 18 O2, differentiation was significantly accelerated at 3 h in cultures exposed to 5 O2 (Fig. 3). Under either oxygen tension, removal of 2-ME had no effect on cell adhesion at 3 h relative to cultures grown under standard culture conditions; however, removal of both 2-ME and serum significantly increased cell adhesion at 3 h (Fig. 3). Undifferentiated THP-1 cells that were not PMA-stimulated did not adhere when 1531364 grown in serum free media for extended periods (data not shown).Oxygen Tension does not Affect Proliferation of Undifferentiated THP-1 cellsA principal characteristic of undifferentiated THP-1 cells is their ability to proliferate in culture. Thus, we initially determined the influence of oxygen tension, 2-ME and serum on the proliferation of undifferentiated THP-1 cells. Specifically, we determined the percent increase in cell number at 24 and 48 h after synchronization in cultures maintained under 18 (hyperoxic) versus 5 (normoxic) O2 in the absence or presence of 2-ME and serum (Fig. 1). Across all treatment groups, the percent increase in cellOxygen Tension Influences THP-1 Cell PhysiologyFigure 1. Influence of O2 tension, 2-ME and serum on proliferation of undifferentiated THP-1 cells. Monocytic THP-1 cells were synchronized by serum deprivation for 48 h and then cultured in hyperoxic (18 O2) or normoxic (5 O2) with or without 2-ME and/or FBS. Cell density was determined using a hemocytometer at 24 h (A) and 48 h (B) after synchronization. Data are presented as the mean 6 SEM (n = 5 independent experiments). *Significantly different from cultures with 2-ME and FBS under the same oxygen tension at p,0.05 (one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s test). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054926.gOxygen Tension, 2-ME and Serum Influence bhexosaminidase Release from Differentiated THP-1 CellsCritical to innate immune function is the constitutive release [22,23] from macrophages of the lysosomal enzyme b-hexosaminidase [24]. To assess the effects of culture conditions on this macrophage function, we quantified both secreted and intracellular amounts of b-hexosaminidase in PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells cultured in 18 O2 versus 5 O2 in the absence or presence of 2-ME and serum. PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells released detectable quantities of b-hexosaminidase into the medium during 24 and 48 h of culture (Fig. 4A, B). This release was not dependent on stimulation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (data not shown), but itwas influenced by oxygen tension, 2-ME and serum. The amount of b-hexosaminidase in the medium at 24 h was significantly decreased in cultures exposed to 5 O2 relative to 18 O2 in the presence of both 2-ME and serum or serum alone (Fig. 4A). However, by 48 h, this influence of oxygen tension on bhexosaminidase release was no longer apparent (Fig. 4B). bHexosaminidase levels in the medium were also reduced by removal of both 2-ME and serum (Fig. 4A, B). While this effect was observed under both oxygen tension conditions and at both 24 and 48 h, it reached statistical significance only at the 24 h time point and only in cultures exposed to 18 O2. To investigate whether the reduced b-hexosaminidase in the medium was due to decreased intracellular levels of b-hexosamin-Figure 2. Influence of O2 tension, 2-ME and serum on the metaboli.