MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE IN VITRO CYTOTOXIC EFFECT OF α‐HEMOLYTIC E. COLI BACTERIA AND CULTURE SUPERNATANTS ON HUMAN BLOOD GRANULOCYTES AND MONOCYTES

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Abstract
The morphological changes of human blood granulocytes and monocytes caused in vitro by α-hemolytic strains of E. coli and bacteria-free culture supernatants of these bacteria were studied by light- and transmission electron microscopy. The following sequence of cellular alterations were observed: Cessation of intracellular cytoplasmic streaming and cellular movements succeeded by extension of cytoplasmic pseudopodia, degranulation and development of cytoplasmic and nuclear edema. Within two hours the leukocytes appeared as empty sacks. Finally, long straight filaments were formed between the cells. The changes induced by α-hemolytic bacteria and culture supernatants containing free α-hemolysin appeared to be identical. The cytotoxic effect became more pronounced as the numbers of bacteria, the hemolytic activity of growth supernatants or the period of incubation were increased. A β-hemolytic and a non-hemolytic E. coli strain were not cytotoxic.

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