The Effect of Radiation on the Activity of Reticuloendothelial Cells in Organ Cultures of Lymph Node and Thymus

Summary

Functional activity of the RE cells in organ cultures of lymph node and thymus was explored by observing their ability to take up and segregate various colloidal dyes and various preparations of iron. Sodium carmine (50 mg per cent in serum-containing medium) was the most satisfactory test substance, and the percentage of RE cells that had segregated dye after exposure for 24 and 48 hours was determined from cell-counts made on film preparations.

In cultures subjected to 10, 20 or 40 kr of x-radiation before exposure to carmine, the percentage of active RE cells was somewhat higher than in controls. It was concluded that the ability of these RE cells to segregate colloidal dye was not impaired during the first two days after doses up to 40 kr. Even after 100 kr most of the cells were active until their death on the second or third day.

In normal cultures exposed to a mixture of trypan blue and sodium carmine, it was noticed that some cells took up trypan blue only, whereas closely adjacent cells might take up carmine only.