THE CHARACTERS OF KUPFFER CELLS LIVING IN VITRO

Abstract
The Kupffer cells procured from the liver of the rabbit and dog for culture in vitro have the typical characters of clasmatocytes. They are readily discriminated from the monocytes washed from the liver with them; and they have certain peculiar features which suffice to differentiate them from some at least of the clasmatocytes of other organs. Their surface is extraordinarily sticky,—far more so than that of blood leukocytes or of the clasmatocytes found in peritoneal exudates; and in consequence they are exceedingly difficult to handle in vitro. They put forth enormous, pellucid, circular membranes resembling those of exudate clasmatocytes but larger. Splenic clasmatocytes, on the other hand, put forth rather small, one-sided ground-glass membranes like broad tongues. On comparing them with Kupffer cells and exudate clasmatocytes one perceives that they are not wholly identical in their characters, but have secondary peculiarities. However, there exist good morphological reasons for grouping them together and terming them all reticulo-endothelial.

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