Dorothy H. Heilman

Effect of Endotoxin on Macrophages of the Adult Chicken

Summary Different concentrations of endotoxin were added to cultures of adult chickens spleen growing in a coagulated plasma medium. Endotoxin in concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0 μg/ml did not alter the early migration of leucocytes and macrophages, but stimulated the extent of macrophage migration after the second day of incubation. Concentrations of endotoxin between 5 and 50 μg/ml caused an initial decrease in macrophage migration followed by a definite increase in a majority of experiments. Morphologic changes due to endotoxin were not observed. The low toxicity of endotoxin for avian macrophages was different from the severe toxic action on mammalian macrophages previously observed under similar cultural conditions.

Acid-Fastness of pine pollen

This is a study of the acid-fast staining characteristics of pine pollen and an investigation of factors causing loss of acid-fastness after pine pollen has been in contact with tisues or mucous membranes. Intact loblolly pine pollen was readily stained with cold carbol-fuchsin, and retained its acid-fastness after decolorization with 3% HC1 in 95% ethyl alcohol for 2 min, followed by methylene blue counterstain. Pine pollen resembles spermatozoa in ease of staining and resistance to decolorization. Acid-fastness was destroyed by crushing or by germination of the pollen grain, and by contact for several hours with serum or saline solutions, but was unchanged by exposure to 0.1% solution of streptomycin in water. Nonviable pine pollen did not lose acid-fastness after suspension for several days in serum or water. When counterstain was omitted, crushed or germinated pollen appeared red to pink after staining with carbol-fuchsin and decolorization with acid alcohol, thus indicating that lipids of an acid-fas...

In Vitro Studies on Delayed Allergy to Pine Pollen

Conclusions Guinea pigs were sensitized by injections of whole or ground pine pollen or extracts of pollen incorporated into incomplete or complete Freund adjuvant. Intradermal tests and macrophage inhibition tests were carried out to detect delayed hypersensitivity to pollen and tuberculin. Sensitization with pollen antigen in complete Freund adjuvant resulted in dermal and cellular sensitivity to pollen and tuberculin. With other methods of sensitization dermal sensitivity to pine pollen was present in a certain proportion of animals the first few weeks after injection. With one exception, cellular sensitivity to pollen extract was restricted to the first month of sensitization. It was concluded that lipids present in whole pollen did not act as adjuvant to induce delayed allergy to pollen proteins.

Current Observations of Lymphocyte Function: Relation to Clinical Problems.

Excerpt As a result of recent progress in understanding of mechanisms of immunologic reactions including homograft rejection, the lymphocyte, a cell whose functions were little known a decade ago, ...