Abstract
Recent work by one of the authors (Morgan) 1 , 2 demonstrated: that an experimental leucopenia could be produced in rabbits by the intravenous injection of a protein-free antigen derived from Eberthella typhosa. Because of this property of the antigen it was desired to determine whether the material would exert a positive or negative chemotaxis towards polymorphonuclear leucocytes.
The technic employed in these experiments was that of Chambers, and Grand. 3 It utilizes a small capillary tube filled with the material to be tested and one end of this tube is sealed with beeswax. This capillary is embedded in a drop of normal guinea pig plasma with its open end near a small fragment of normal adult guinea pig spleen. (The plasma was prepared with 1:1000 solution of heparin.)
After a few hours' incubation at 37°C the leucocytes begin to migrate from the fragment of spleen, and then, depending upon the properties of the material in the capillary tube which lies at right angles to their path, they either turn into the tube or avoid its open end.
The substances tested were (1) cells of Staphylococcus albus to serve as a control and (2) E. typhosa. Each of these was washed 3 times and suspended in Ringer's solution. The third was an antigenic extract of E. typhosa cultured in a synthetic medium and prepared as described by Morgan. 1 , 2
Twelve or more satisfactory preparations were made with each material and observed at intervals after 3 to 24 hours' incubation. The results of these tests, in brief, were as follows:
(a) With Staph. albus, which served as a control, the migration of the leucocytes from the splenic fragment was very pronounced, especially to the area about the point of the capillary tube.
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