It is well known that the phagocytic action of the cells of the reticuloendothelial system plays an important role in the immunological reaction and as a barrier against foreign bodies.
It is also known that when the reticuloendot-helial system is bl...
It is well known that the phagocytic action of the cells of the reticuloendothelial system plays an important role in the immunological reaction and as a barrier against foreign bodies.
It is also known that when the reticuloendot-helial system is blockaded by cortisone, adherence
of the foreign bodies to the cell membrane of phagocytes, an initial step of phagocytic
mechanism, and absorption of foreign body into the cytoplasm of phagocytes are considerably
disturbed.
An investigation was undertaken to study the phagocytic activity of the omental milk spots
by light and electron microscopy.
Sixteen albino rats, maintained on a stock diet, weighing 200.0gm. average, were divided into 3 experimental groups.
Group 1. Control group.
No intraperitoneal injection of india ink given.
a. Two rats, untreated.
b . 2 rats: A dose of 25mg of cortisone acetate was given intramuscularly for 6consecutive days.
Group 2.
6 rats: A single dose of 6.0ml of 2% india ink in normal saline was given once a day, intraperitoneally, for 3 consecutive days.
Group 3.
6 rats: A dose of 25 mg of cortisone acetate was given intramuscularly, once a day, for 6
consecutive days. Starting on the 4th day, a 6.0ml of 2% india ink in normal saline, once a day, was administered intraperitoneally, for 3 days. Each of the experimental rats were sacrificed 24 hours after the last treatment of india ink preparation from the groups 2 and 3. The control group was sacrificed simillarly. Then the greater omentum was extirpated and inspected for india ink pigmentation of the milk spots, followed by both light and electron microscopic examinations.
The results were as follows:
1. Light microscopic observations: In the experimental group of rats treated with 25 mg doses of cortisone acetate with a resulant reticuloendothelial system blockade followed by an intraperitoneal india ink injection (group 3), the degree of carbon particle phagocytic activity of omental milk spots was greatly diminished over the group of rats treated with india ink only (group 2).
2. Electron microscopic observations:
The number of phagosomes in the cytoplasms of the phagocytes of the milk spots of the greater omentum was increased substantially in the group of rats treated with india ink only (group 2). In this group, a large quantity of carbon particles were found to be contained in the phagosomes. Although there was an increased number of phagosomes bearing carbon particles in the group of rats treated with 25mg doses cortisone acetate followed by india ink injection (group 3), the number of phagosomes in this group was less than in the group of rats treated with india ink alone (group 2). A considerable quantity of carbon particles were also found outside the cytoplasms of phagocytes for group '3.
It can be concluded, therefore:
The phagocytic activity of omental milk spots was greatly decimated but not completely inhibited when the reticuloendothelial system was b!ockaded by Large quantity of cortisone administration.