Blood, 1954, Vol. 9, No. 8, pp. 810-816.
© 1954 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Changes in the Phagocytic Activity of Polymorphonuclear
Leukocytes following Total Body X-Irradiation
in the Rat
M. WILKINSON 1
1 Department of Medicine, University of California School of Medicine, San
Francisco, Calif.
The phagocytic activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes from irradiated
rats was studied over a period of thirteen days following 550 r total body x-irradiation.
Leukocytes from irradiated rats showed slightly increased phagocytosis of
plague bacilli during the first six days after irradiation, but on statistical analysis
this increase proved to be insignificant.
From the seventh to the thirteenth day after irradiation, these cells showed a
markedly reduced capacity to phagocytose plague bacilli.
Phagocytic studies on suspensions of normal cells in plasma from irradiated
animals and on cells from irradiated animals in normal plasma showed that the
deficient phagocytosis during the second week following irradiation was due
mainly to a defect in the polymorphonuclear leukocytes themselves, though the
fact that the addition of normal plasma to cells from irradiated animals did
increase their phagocytic capacity by a small but definite degree suggests that
there is also a defect in the plasma of irradiated animals.
Submitted on October 13, 1953
Accepted on January 18, 1954
