title: Macrophage spreading disparity: alveolar vs peritoneal.
abstract: Macrophage spreading over glass surfaces is a recognized in vitro manifestation of activation. We examined macrophage spreading using a simplified assay. Hartley guinea pigs (n = 15) were anesthetized with pentobarbital (0.4 mg/gm) IM. Macrophages were obtained by lavaging the peritoneal (PM) and alveolar (AM) spaces with sterile 0.9% NaCl (NS). AM or PM (150,000 cells) were placed into chambers of Lab-Tek microtiter slides +/- phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Slides were incubated /37 degrees C in 5% CO2 for 20 minutes. Macrophages with a diameter greater than 2 x control cells were considered spread. Compared to PM, resident AM show increased spontaneous spreading (16 +/- 2% vs 79 +/- 2%) respectively. AM demonstrated no significant concentration-dependent response to PMA stimulation. The PM has served as the basis for much of the morphological and functional observations attributed to macrophages in general. The above spreading data support the concept of disparity of macrophage function dependent upon various factors, including site of origin. Our observations suggest that extrapolation of macrophage characteristics to cells from discordant sources may not be possible.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond 23298.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Bechard
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Carchman
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fowler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D002465:Cell Movement; D015194:Diffusion Chambers, Culture; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology*; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000166:cytology*