Phagocytosis Of Particulate Matter Research Articles

Carbon in airway macrophages from children with asthma

BackgroundAirway macrophage (AM) phagocytosis is impaired in severe asthma. Prostaglandin (PG) E2 and D2 are increased in severe asthma and suppress AM phagocytic function in vitro. In this study, we...

Chapter 4 Tetrahymena as a Laboratory Organism: Useful Strains, Cell Culture, and Cell Line Maintenance

Publisher Summary A key to the usefulness of Tetrahymena as a laboratory organism is its exceptionally fast growth rate under simple and inexpensive culture conditions. With a doubling time under 2 h, Tetrahymena is one of the fastest multiplying free-living eukaryotic cells. This chapter describes useful inbred and mutant strains, growth media, and some basic methods for laboratory storage and culture of Tetrahymena cells. Panels of meiotic segregants and terminal assortants derived from heterozygous progeny of inbred strains B × C3 are used to map genetic loci and DNA polymorphisms to the micronuclear and macronuclear genomes. Tetrahymena cells possess two efficient and sufficient routes of nutrient uptake: phagocytosis of particulate matter and active transport of nutrients in solution. Deionized and distilled H2O of high purity as well as dedicated glassware are used to make media, as Tetrahymena cells are sensitive to impurities in the water and soap residue on the glassware.

Cellular aspects of inflammation. The Ciba-Geigy Prize for Research in Animal Health.

The migration of leucocytes to sites of acute and chronic inflammation is an event of central importance to the maintenance of inflammatory processes; extravascular leucocytes are responsible for generating chemical mediators of inflammation and the phagocytosis of particulate matter. They may also be involved in the conversion of acute to chronic inflammatory lesions. Leucocytes are attracted to sites of tissue injury by a range of chemoattractants. This paper describes the development of a method for separating on Percoll gradients purified populations of equine polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leucocytes and use of the isolated cells in vitro studies. Two independent assay methods, the agarose microdroplet and the Boyden chamber microfilter techniques, were used. The assays were utilised in three ways: (a) to investigate the sensitivity of polymorphonuclear and mononuclear leucocytes to two standard chemoattractants, zymosan activated plasma and n-formyl-methionyl-leucyl phenylalanine; (b) to study the chemoattractant properties of leukotriene B4 and prostaglandin E2 for equine leucocytes; and (c) to investigate the inhibitory actions of several nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on equine leucocyte movement.

Identification of an Agent in Cultures of Aspergillus fumigatus Displaying Anti-phagocytic and Immunomodulating Activity in vitro

When cultured in vitro, Aspergillus fumigatus generated a metabolite(s) with anti-phagocytic activity as tested by macrophage adherence to plastic and phagocytosis of particulate matter. The metabolite(s) appeared after 3 d culture and reached a peak concentration after 5-6 d. The action of the anti-phagocytic agent(s) was rapid (5-15 min) and appeared not to alter membrane permeability or cause rapid cell death. Treatment of stimulator spleen cells with the agent(s) inhibited their ability to induce alloreactive and major histocompatibility complex restricted cytotoxic T cells. The metabolite(s) was chloroform-soluble and separated into three biologically active compounds on thin-layer chromatography. These compounds were purified greater than 1000-fold and one of them was identified as gliotoxin, a known metabolite of A. fumigatus, based upon NMR and IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, biological properties and other data.

Studies on human leukocyte motility. I. Effects of alterations in pH, electrolyte concentration, and phagocytosis on leukocyte migration, adhesiveness, and aggregation.

Leukocyte migration was studied in a microhematocrit system which permitted evaluation of the separate effects of leukocyte adhesiveness, intrinsic cell motility, and leukocyte clumping. Leukocyte adhesion to glass required the presence of magnesium ion, was totally independent of calcium ion, and was partially dependent on heat-labile plasma factors. Leukocyte migration was unimpaired by marked acidosis or by wide variations in sodium, potassium, or calcium concentrations. Marked impairment of individual leukocyte motility and increased leukocyte aggregation were observed after phagocytosis of particulate matter, suggesting a mechanism facilitating recruitment and retention of leukocytes at areas of microbial invasion.