Influence of oxygen on function and cholesterol composition of murine bone marrow-derived neutrophils

During inflammation and infection, invading pathogens as well as infiltrating neutrophils locally consume oxygen and reduce the present oxygen level. Since oxygen is an elementary component of the microenvironment required for cell activity and alters multiple cellular functions, it is important to study neutrophil functionality and phenotype at characteristic pathophysiological oxygen levels that reflect the hypoxic phenotype during infection and inflammation. Here, we describe methods to study murine neutrophils under hypoxic compared to normoxic conditions, including analysis of cholesterol content as a key lipid involved in biological functions.