Respiratory Capacity at Rest and during Phagocytosis of Rat Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes under Various Conditions of Irradiation

Summary

The respiratory capacity of PMN leukocytes, at rest and during phagocytosis, has been determined after various conditions of irradiation. The PMN leukocytes were obtained from the peritoneal cavity of rats in which an aseptic peritonitis had been induced 24 hours before killing.

Experimental results show: a considerable decrease in the respiratory capacity, both at rest and during phagocytosis, of the PMN leukocytes from animals irradiated with 1200 R; an obvious lowering in the respiratory capacity of the PMN irradiated in vitro with 2000 R; an increase in respiration during phagocytosis of the PMN from animals irradiated internally with 1 μCi ³²P/g and killed on the third day, and a diminution of it in PMN from animals killed after 6, 12 and 20 days; a normal respiratory capacity of PMN which phagocytize in the presence of a homologous serum taken from animals irradiated with 1200 R and of a serum irradiated in vitro with 5000 R.