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Multiple Choice

Eosinophils release two toxic compounds.

Eosinophils deploy their toxic arsenal to combat parasites and modulate allergic responses by releasing mediators stored in granules and produced upon activation. A key combination they use is nitric oxide, a reactive nitrogen species that helps kill parasites and can contribute to tissue damage in allergic inflammation, along with cytotoxic enzymes like eosinophil peroxidase and other granule proteins that directly injure target cells. This pairing—nitric oxide and cytotoxic enzymes—best fits what eosinophils release as toxic mediators. Histamine and heparin come from mast cells and basophils, while interferon and interleukin-2 are cytokines produced by other leukocyte types. Hydrogen peroxide and superoxide are reactive oxygen species more characteristically associated with neutrophils, though eosinophils can generate ROS as well; the question’s pairing highlights nitric oxide with cytotoxic enzymes as the eosinophil’s toxic mediators.

Eosinophils deploy their toxic arsenal to combat parasites and modulate allergic responses by releasing mediators stored in granules and produced upon activation. A key combination they use is nitric oxide, a reactive nitrogen species that helps kill parasites and can contribute to tissue damage in allergic inflammation, along with cytotoxic enzymes like eosinophil peroxidase and other granule proteins that directly injure target cells. This pairing—nitric oxide and cytotoxic enzymes—best fits what eosinophils release as toxic mediators. Histamine and heparin come from mast cells and basophils, while interferon and interleukin-2 are cytokines produced by other leukocyte types. Hydrogen peroxide and superoxide are reactive oxygen species more characteristically associated with neutrophils, though eosinophils can generate ROS as well; the question’s pairing highlights nitric oxide with cytotoxic enzymes as the eosinophil’s toxic mediators.