Osmotic effects on neutrophil segmentation. An in vitro phenomenon.
Segementation of the nucleus is an important morphologic characteristic of mature neutrophils and is a useful parameter for their identification in various body fluids. From our studies, we have demonstrated that when mature neutrophils are placed in low specific gravity urine, cellular enlargement and a loss of nuclear segmentation occur, resulting in inaccurate identification. Both cytotechnologists and investigators involved in neutrophil research should be aware of the effects of tonicity on morphologic characteristics.
D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009995:Osmosis; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014556:Urine / Q000166:cytology*