Necrotic cells induce nonadherent peritoneal exudate cells to proliferate and differentiate into macrophage-like cells

Abstract

In a previous study, we noticed that some ascitic cells isolated from melanoma patients survive, proliferate, and differentiate into giant phagocytes after the other cells died. Similar phenomena were observed in the primary cultures of mouse lung and liver cells. In the present study, the effects of dying cells on abdominal exudate cells, and the biological characteristics of the differentiated cells were studied. The results indicate that necrotic cells induce CD14−/CD68+ fraction of abdominal exudate cells to proliferate and differentiate into giant phagocytes; however, apoptotic cells had no such effect. Morphologic studies revealed that the large phagocytes possess characteristics of macrophages. Moreover, necrotic cells enhance the expression of CD14, CD68, CD80, and CD86, and the differentiated cells expressed high levels of CD68 and CD86. Our results indicate that necrotic cells induce CD14−/CD68+ fraction of abdominal exudate cells to proliferate and differentiate, and the differentiated cells possess characteristics similar to macrophages.