Phagocytosis and killing of Escherichia coli X43 by individual resident mouse peritoneal macrophages assessed by an autoradiographic technique.
An autoradiographic technique for the determination of viable bacteria in individual cells is described, based on the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into the DNA of viable Escherichia coli X43, following phagocytosis by resident mouse peritoneal macrophages. The results of the autoradiographic technique were in overall agreement with viable colony counts. Investigation of the killing of E. coli X43 with the autoradiographic technique showed that the percentage viable bacteria tended to be the same irrespective of the number of bacteria ingested per macrophage, although there was a definite correlation between the numbers phagocytosed and the percentage killed in some of the experiments.
D000818:Animals; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D001345:Autoradiography; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D010587:Phagocytosis; D011817:Rabbits