人体多形核白血球(PMNs)的吞噬作用在防止许多细菌病原体感染中起必要的作用。不过,有些微生物被咽下后仍可存活,甚至能在细胞中增殖,这些细菌可能引起慢性感染。治疗或防止这样的感染需要能使细胞内微生物失活的药物,但抗微生物药物极难进到细胞里。能够进入人体 PMNs 的替硝 Phagocytosis of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) plays a necessary role in preventing infection with many bacterial pathogens. However, some microbes survive the ingestion and even multiply in the cells. These bacteria may cause chronic infections. Treating or preventing such infections requires drugs that inactivate intracellular microbes, but antimicrobials are extremely difficult to reach into cells. To enter the human body for the PMNs nitrate