Effects of respiratory-burst stimuli on the flow properties of pig blood neutrophils

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Stimulants of the neutrophil respiratory burst, both soluble and crystalline, greatly inhibit the flow of cells through a Nuclepore filter with 5 μm diameter pores. The stimuli appear to reduce cell deformability by a mechanism independent of the activation of respiration, since inhibitors of the respiratory burst (N-phenyl maleimide, quercetin) are without effect on the change. It is suggested that stimuli reduce membrane deformability rather than cause aggregation, since slowing of flow is independent of cell density and is much less when the filter pore size is increased to 8μm. The technique, recently used to study alterations in erythrocyte deformability, may be appropriate for investigating leucocyte flow in some clinical disorders.