SEPARATION OF BRONCHOALVEOLAR CELLS FROM THE GUINEA-PIG ON CONTINUOUS GRADIENTS OF PERCOLL - FUNCTIONAL-PROPERTIES OF FRACTIONATED LUNG MACROPHAGES

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 33  (2) , 157-164
Abstract
Lung macrophages from normal guinea pig lungs were separated from broncoalveolar cells into 3 fractions according to buoyant density by centrifugation on continuous iso-osmotic gradients of Percoll. A reproducible pattern of functional activity distinguished these 3 macrophage fractions. With increasing density and decreasing cell size, the respective fractions exhibited increased stimulated migration, superoxide anion release of pinocytosis, and increased protein concentration of the cells. These differences, coupled with previous observations that these fractions also exhibited morphological and cytochemical differences, support the notion that these fractions of macrophages may represent different stages of maturation (or differentiation) of alveolar macrophages in the lungs of normal guinea pigs.