*2.7. Cell Isolation*

The leukocytes isolation was performed according to a published protocol [21]. Leukocyte concentrates were prepared from peripheral blood obtained from healthy human adult donors that received no anti-inflammatory treatment for the last ten days (Institute of Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Jena). The approval for the protocol was given by the ethical committee of the University Hospital Jena, and all methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. To isolate PMNL, the leukocyte concentrates were mixed with dextran (*Leuconostoc* spp. MW ~40,000, Sigma Aldrich, Taufkirchen, Germany) for sedimentation of erythrocytes and the supernatant was centrifuged on lymphocyte separation medium (Histopaque®-1077, Sigma Aldrich, Taufkirchen, Germany). Contaminating erythrocytes in the pelleted neutrophils were removed by hypotonic lysis (water). PMNL were then washed twice in ice-cold phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and finally resuspended in PBS plus 0.1% of glucose and 1 mM CaCl2.
