Abstract
Summary
Sequential changes in the human leukocyte's ability to phagocytize latex particles and lymphocyte transformation were correlated with concomitant biochemical modifications during a 30° incubation period. There were no pH adjustments nor nutritional additives during the period of sequential testing of aging blood cells.
Locomotion and phagocytosis of neutrophils continued unimpaired for 22-23 hr or until “starvation” conditions prevailed. Attachment of inert polystyrene latex particles to the plasma membrane did not trigger ingestion. Streaming cytoplasm associated with cellular motility seemed to be the main vehicle for interiorization of particles.
Small lymphocytes have a potential for transformation into large mononucelar cells after incubating 1-2 hr. There was a gradual decline in their reactivity after 2-5 hr which may have been due to an inhibitory effect of the granulocytes present in the incubating blood. Not all lymphocytes responded uniformly to the stimulation of surface contact. Their behavior was variable and they did not show the same effects of aging.
By examining the progression of changes during the aging and “death” of the cell, the cytological adjustments and alterations associated with this basic pathologic process were defined within the limits of the methodology used, but the exact time when the cell was irreversibly altered, “dead,” must await further study.
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