Enhanced Granulocyte Mobility Induced by Chemotactic Factor in the Agarose Plate

Abstract

Human granulocyte mobility under various conditions of chemotactic stimulus was studied using the agarose plate method. Enhanced mobility was observed when granulocytes were incubated in the agarose plate containing chemotactic factor generated from Escherichia coli. A dose response type relationship was observed between the degree of enhanced mobility and the concentrations of chemotactic factor in a range of less than 10%. The rate of mobility was rapid up to 3 h, after which time it was very slow. Preincubation of granulocytes with chemotactic factor of various concentrations did not have any influence on granulocyte mobility assayed after preincubation. The degree of mobility was determined by the final concentration of chemotactic factor coming in contact with granulocytes. Granulocytes under a negative concentration gradient also showed an enhanced mobility. The hypothesis that the accumulation of granulocytes at the site of inflammation can be in part explained by chemokinesis, i.e., enhanced random mobility is proposed.