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I Yuli and R Snyderman
Enhancement of light transmission has been widely accepted as an empirical
measure of cell aggregation in suspension. Several years ago, this
measurement was introduced to the study of polymorphonuclear leukocyte
(PMN) aggregation by adapting a hypothesis originally developed for
platelets. Accordingly, an increase in light transmission is attributed to
cell aggregation and a decrease in transmission below baseline level is
indicative of increased cell symmetry. We tested this hypothesis for human
PMNs by comparing the whole cell shape or the cells' aggregation state with
the light transmission under particular experimental conditions. The PMN
light response to the chemoattractant, f-Met-Leu-Phe, in the presence of
low doses of aliphatic alcohols was associated with transient enhanced
transmission, followed by a rapid decrease below baseline. In contrast to
the platelet hypothesis, the below-baseline effect coincided with a
decrease in PMN symmetry from spheres to wedge-shaped (polarized) cells.
PMNs fixed mildly with various doses of formaldehyde (0.1% to 0.3%) were
completely aggregated by the addition of 50 micrograms/mL
phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Despite the complete aggregation of the PMNs,
there was a dose-dependent inhibition of the above-baseline level
transmission response by the fixative, demonstrating a clear dichotomy
between aggregation and increased light transmission. However, PMN
aggregation could be monitored by observing the pattern of enhanced light
transmission coupled with decreased perpendicular light scattering
immediately after the stirring of the cell suspensions was stopped. PMNs
aggregated by PHA cleared from suspension very rapidly (t1/2 less than or
equal to one minute), whether or not they were formalin-fixed. In contrast,
unaggregated cells revealed constant transmission and perpendicular
scattering intensities for as long as five minutes after the stirring was
stopped. The clearance patterns of f-Met-Leu-Phe-stimulated PMNs initiated
even at the time of maximally increased light transmission were
indistinguishable from those of the unstimulated cells, indicating the
absence of aggregation. The lack of correlation between light output and
changes in cell shape or degree of aggregation of PMNs causes us to reject
the hypothesis that attributes enhanced light transmission to PMN
aggregation. We suggest that modulation of light transmission by PMNs
stimulated with chemoattractants is due to changes in light output from
subcellular objects.
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| Copyright © 1984 by American Society of Hematology Online ISSN: 1528-0020 | |||||||||