Phagocytic and Metabolic Activities of Isolated Rat Kupffer Cells ∗

Abstract

Summary

The isolation of rat Kupffer cells was effected by the use of collagenase and trypsin digestion of liver tissue. The isolated cells demonstrated the ability to phagocytize, but required both serum and heparin. Metabolic studies demonstrated that the cells might possess a significant fatty acid metabolism and that the phagocytic process of the isolated Kupffer cell was both cyanide and iodoacetate sensitive. Microelectrophoretic studies suggested that the surface integrity of the isolated cells, as measured by surface charge, remained intact during the isolation procedure.