CHARACTERIZATION OF RAT POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTE SUB-CELLULAR GRANULES

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 46  (6) , 597-604
Abstract
The bactericidal subcellular granules of rat peritoneal neutrophils were studied to determine selected physical and biochemical characteristics. Isopycnic centrifugation of these granules resolved them into 3 subpopulations: specific granules (buoyant density = 1.176) and light and heavy azurophil granules (buoyant density = 1.20 and 1.22). These buoyant densities corresponded closely to those of similarly isolated human granules. Specific granules of rat peritoneal neutrophil contained 68% of the sedimentable alkaline phosphatase activity and part of the lysozyme of the whole rat peritoneal neutrophil. The light azurophil granules contained the remainder of the lysozyme as well as a substantial portion of the .beta.-glucuronidase activity. Peroxidase was detected in both light and heavy azurophil granules, as was neutral protease. Morphologically, the rat specific granules were round or slightly ovoid organelles (0.10-0.13 .mu.m in diamter). The azurophil granules were larger (0.3 .mu.m), ellipsoid as well as round in shape, and stained strongly for peroxidase. These granules were significantly smaller than the crystal-containing granules of eosinophils.

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