Visceral leishmaniasis with cardiac involvement in a dog: a case report

A dog presented with cutaneous nodules, enlarged lymph nodes and oedema in limbs, face and abdomen. The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis was established by identification of Leishmania amastigotes within macrophages from skin and popliteal lymph node biopsies. At necropsy, lesions were found in different organs, but it was particularly striking to observe large areas of pallor in the myocardium. Histological examination revealed an intense chronic inflammatory reaction in many organs, and numerous macrophages were found to contain amastigote forms of Leishmania. The inflammatory reaction was especially severe in the heart, where large areas of the myocardium appeared infiltrated with huge numbers of mononuclear immune cells, causing cardiac muscle atrophy and degeneration. Despite the severe inflammation, the number of parasitized macrophages was low in the myocardium, as revealed by immunohistochemical staining of Leishmania amastigotes. Because cardiac involvement is not usually described in this condition, this dog represents a very rare case of canine visceral leishmaniasis with affection of the myocardium.     

荧光活性染料DiO标记腹腔巨噬细胞的示踪与应用研究

目的 以细胞膜绿色荧光活性染料DiO （DiOC18（3））标记腹腔巨噬细胞（peritoneal macrophage）,探讨在巨噬细胞消失反应（macrophage disappearance reaction,MDR）中腹腔巨噬细胞的示踪研究。方法 DiO标记腹腔巨噬细胞,过继移植给C57BL/6小鼠;以脂多糖（lipopolysaccharide,LPS）诱导体内MDR。采用荧光显微镜和流式细胞术检测DiO标记的腹腔巨噬细胞数量及荧光强度;分离收集小鼠的各组织,进行冰冻切片,检测DiO标记的腹腔巨噬细胞分布情况。结果 荧光显微镜和流式细胞仪观察发现,腹腔注射LPS能显著降低腹腔中DiO标记的腹腔巨噬细胞数量及荧光强度。在MDR过程中消失的腹腔巨噬细胞,通过冰冻切片发现在肝脏、胸腺及脾脏中有分布。结论 DiO标记对腹腔巨噬细胞的存活无影响且能长效保持荧光,是一种安全、有效的示踪腹腔巨噬细胞分布的技术手段。     

Thein vitro phagocytic activity of guinea-pig macrophages toSalmonella typhi andSalmonella enteritidis

The engulfing, bactericidal and degrading activities toSalmonella typhi, strain ty2-4446 and 0-901 and toSalmonella enteritidis of guinea pig macrophages obtained from peritoneal exudate, spleen and bone marrow that were cultivated for 2–7 days, were studied. The phagocytic activity was expressed as a total number of phagocytosed microbes and the number of viable bacteria, released from mechanically disrupted macrophages. The ratio of phagocytosed bacteria to the original number of bacteria that were introduced to macrophage cultures, were evaluated in per cents. No significant difference in phagocytic activity was found between macrophages submitted to thein vitro cultivation and macrophages freshly isolated from the organism. Profound variations in phagocytic activity of cells were found which were partially dependent on the dose of microbes employed for the infection of cultures. Furthermore, both the engulfing and bactericidal activity of peritoneal macrophages toSalmonella typhi were found to be higher than in bone morrow macrophages.Salmonella typhi 0-901 microbes were phagocytosed by macrophages from bone marrow and peritoneal exudate much better thanSalmonella typhi ty2. In addition, a significant delay in bactericidal activity toSalmonella typhi ty2 of bone marrow macrophages in comparison to peritoneal macrophages was observed. The spleen macrophages possessed better phagocytic and killing activity toSalmonella enteritidis than bone marrow macrophages. A striking difference was found as regards the intracellular growth ofSalmonella typhi andSalmonella gertneri: no multiplication ofSalmonella typhi within the peritoneal and bone marrow macrophages was observed during the 3–5 h cultivation, whereas on the other hand,Salmonella gertneri started to grow intracellularly within the 5 h cultivation in the bone marrow macrophages.     

Appearance of a Cell Surface Antigen Associated with the Activation of Peritoneal Macrophages in Mice

A relatively large population of murine peritoneal exudate macrophages induced with viable BCG or heat-killed Corynebacterium parvum was stained by the antiserum prepared against purified gangliotetraosyl ceramide (asialo GM1), while only a small population of peritoneal resident macrophages or peritoneal exudate macrophages induced with proteose peptone was stained. The cytotoxicity assay of those macrophages with anti-asialo GM1 plus complement supported these results. Peritoneal macrophages induced with BCG or C. parvum showed strong cytotoxicity for EL4 cells in vitro, while resident or peptone-induced peritoneal macrophages showed no cytotoxicity. BCG- or C. parvum-induced peritoneal cells contained both NK cells and cytotoxic macrophages, and either in vivo or in vitro pretreatment of the cells with anti-asialo GM1 and complement abolished the activities of both types of cells. Peptone-induced peritoneal macrophages incubated with lymphokines (LK) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were cytotoxic for EL4 cells and contained an increased number of cells stained by anti-asialo GM1. The cytotoxicity of these in vitro activated macrophages was reduced by treatment with anti-asialo GM1 plus complement. When peptone-induced peritoneal macrophages were incubated with LK, the number of cells stained by anti-Ia antiserum increased, but the number did not increase when the macrophages were incubated with LPS. Pretreatment of peptone-induced macrophages with anti-asialo GM1 plus complement did not affect the ability of the macrophages to be activated by LK. These results taken together strongly suggest that the antigen (s) reactive with anti-asialo GM1 is expressed on the cell surface of cytotoxic peritoneal macrophages in mice.     

Enhancement of Host Resistance against Listeria Infection by Lactobacillus casei: Activation of Liver Macrophages and Peritoneal Macrophages by Lactobacillus casei

The functions of liver macrophages and peritoneal macrophages obtained after injection of Lactobacillus casei were examined. Listericidal activity in vivo was enhanced in liver macrophages 13 days after L. casei injection but was somewhat suppressed in the macrophages 2 days after the injection. The listericidal activity in vitro was enhanced in peritoneal macrophages obtained 13 days after L. casei injection but was suppressed in cells obtained 2 days later. The PMA-triggered respiratory burst in the liver macrophages elicited by L. casei was higher than that of resident macrophages. Alkaline phosphodiesterase activity in the liver macrophages was decreased by L. casei injection, as was also the case with peritoneal macrophages. These observations indicate that L. casei augmented cellular functions of both liver and peritoneal macrophages.     

Influence of Transglutaminase on the Functions of Mouse Peritoneal Macrophages

Influence of transglutaminase on the production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and on the release of active oxygen from mouse peritoneal macrophages was examined using cystamine and methylamine, an enzyme inhibitor and a substrate inhibitor, respectively. Casein-elicited or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-elicited macrophages have higher levels of transglutaminase activity in comparison with resident macrophages, and there exists a definite correlation between endocytosis of erythrocytes and transglutaminase activity in either group of macrophages. The release of IL-1 by resident macrophages stimulated with LPS in vitro was significantly inhibited by the treatment with both transglutaminase inhibitors. However, these inhibitors were not able to inhibit the release of IL-1 from casein-elicited macrophages stimulated with LPS in vitro. The production of active oxygen from LPS-elicited macrophages was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by the treatment of macrophages with cystamine, but was not by the treatment with methylamine. However, the treatment of LPS-elicited macrophages with cystamine did not inhibit the uptake of glucose into macrophages. These results suggest that transglutaminase activity in mouse peritoneal macrophages is an important factor for macrophage functions.     

Cellular Aspects of the Resistance of Chickens to Eimeria tenella Infections*

SYNOPSIS. Sporozoites of Eimeria tenella were injected into the peritoneal cavity of normal chickens and chickens immunized against E. tenella. In some experiments normal scrum and serum from resistant chickens were injected prior to the injection of sporozoites. After 15 or 30 minute periods of intraperitoneal incubation, exudates were harvested and the occurrence of intracellular sporozoites was determined. Only macrophages and degranulated granulocytes were observed to contain sporozoites. There was no significant difference between the number of macrophages obtained from normal chickens (normal macrophages) which contained sporozoites and the number of macrophages obtained from immune chickens (immune macrophages) which contained sporozoites. Significantly fewer immune macrophages treated with immune serum contained sporozoites than untreated normal or immune cells, normal macrophages treated with either serum, or immune macrophages treated with normal scrum. Sporozoites in untreated normal macrophages did not appear to be harmed by the intracellular environment, based on structural observations. The majority of sporozoites in macrophages from all other groups were difficult to distinguish within the cytoplasm and were visibly distorted. It is hypothesized that the presence of fewer infected macrophages in exudates of immune chickens and serum-treated normal chickens was caused by an enhanced ability of these cells to destroy the parasite. Similar observations were noted in the case of sporozoites within degranulated granulocytes of experimental groups. The lack of understanding of the degranulation phenomenon makes it difficult to interpret these findings.     

Experimental selection of long‐term intracellular mycobacteria

Some intracellular bacteria are known to cause long‐term infections that last decades without compromising the viability of the host. Although of critical importance, the adaptations that intracellular bacteria undergo during this long process of residence in a host cell environment remain obscure. Here, we report a novel experimental approach to study the adaptations of mycobacteria imposed by a long‐term intracellular lifestyle. Selected Mycobacterium bovis BCG through continuous culture in macrophages underwent an adaptation process leading to impaired phenolic glycolipids (PGL) synthesis, improved usage of glucose as a carbon source and accumulation of neutral lipids. These changes correlated with increased survival of mycobacteria in macrophages and mice during re‐infection and also with the specific expression of stress‐ and survival‐related genes. Our findings identify bacterial traits implicated in the establishment of long‐term cellular infections and represent a tool for understanding the physiological states and the environment that bacteria face living in fluctuating intracellular environments.     

Experimental Salmonellosis

When mononuclear phagocytes (macrophages), were infected with Salmonella enteritidis and confined in a diffusion chamber to incubate with normal macrophages, they confer on the normal macrophages cellular immunity, as detected by inhibition to intracellular multiplication of a virulent strain 116-54 and resistance to cellular degeneration caused by phagocytosis of bacteria. An immune ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted from the peritoneal macrophages maintained in tissue culture bottles in a homogeneous cell population which had been infected with strains of 5. enteritidis. When peritoneal macrophages, cultured in a homogeneous cell population, were treated in vitro with this agent, they developed cellular immunity and cellular antibody. The RNA preparation was not inactived by treatment with deoxyribonuclease, with pronase or with antibodies to a virulent strain 116-54 of S. enteritidis. These facts suggest that the macrophages constitute a cell line responsible for active antibody formation.     

鰤诺卡氏菌对大口黑鲈头肾巨噬细胞的侵染过程

【背景】鱼类诺卡氏菌病潜伏期和病程较长,感染率和死亡率较高,给水产养殖业带来较大的经济损失,其病原鰤诺卡氏菌(Nocardia seriolae)是胞内寄生菌,侵入细胞后引起慢性感染是主要的致病机制。【目的】构建鰤诺卡氏菌侵染大口黑鲈(Micropterus salmoides)头肾巨噬细胞体外模型,观察鰤诺卡氏菌侵染巨噬细胞的过程并探究鰤诺卡氏菌对巨噬细胞的凋亡作用。【方法】采用密度梯度离心法分离巨噬细胞,通过特异性染色和PCR扩增巨噬细胞表达基因mpeg1对细胞进行鉴定,并通过CCK-8法和氧呼吸暴发活性测定检测巨噬细胞的活性;通过倒置荧光显微镜和流式细胞术观察侵染过程中细菌与细胞的形态与数量变化;通过双荧光流式细胞术检测、乳酸脱氢酶(lactate dehydrogenase, LDH)释放试验及线粒体膜电位检测,探究鰤诺卡氏菌对巨噬细胞的凋亡作用。【结果】从大口黑鲈头肾分离获得纯度高的巨噬细胞,经染色和PCR法鉴定为巨噬细胞;筛选出最优的体外培养条件为1640培养基+1%青霉素链霉素+1%胎牛血清。在脂多糖刺激后,巨噬细胞的氧呼吸暴发能力显著提高(P<0.05)。GFP-鰤诺卡氏菌侵染细胞2 h后细菌被细胞吞噬,4 h细胞变圆且贴壁率降低,6 h细菌大量繁殖并包围细胞,8 h后细胞大量死亡。凋亡相关实验结果表明,侵染初期巨噬细胞凋亡率增加,LDH释放增加,线粒体膜电位下降;随着侵染时间延长,细胞凋亡率下降、LDH释放量及线粒体膜电位下降减少,说明鰤诺卡氏菌对巨噬细胞起先促进后抑制凋亡的作用。【结论】通过密度梯度离心法成功分离大口黑鲈头肾巨噬细胞,并通过鰤诺卡氏菌侵染细胞后初步摸清鰤诺卡细菌在细胞水平的致病机理,建立了鰤诺卡氏菌侵染大口黑鲈头肾巨噬细胞的体外模型;证实了鰤诺卡氏菌可侵染巨噬细胞并抑制细胞凋亡,从而达到在巨噬细胞内存活,为进一步开展鰤诺卡氏菌与巨噬细胞相互作用并阐明鰤诺卡氏菌的致病机制奠定了研究基础。     

Macrophage differentiation and granulomatous inflammation in osteopetrotic mice (op/op) defective in the production of CSF-1

Since the osteopetrotic (op/op) mouse was demonstrated to have a mutation within the coding region of the CSF-1 gene itself, it serves as a model for investigating the differentiation mechanism of macrophage populations in the absence of functional CSF-1. The op/op mice were severely monocytopenic and showed marked reduction and abnormal differentiation of tissue macrophages. Osteoclasts as well as marginal metallophilic macrophages and marginal zone macrophages in the spleen were absent. Most of the tissue macrophages were reduced in number and ultrastructurally immature. However, the degree of reduction in numbers of macrophages in the mutant mice was variable among tissues, suggesting that the heterogeneity of macrophages was generated by their different dependency on CSF-1. After daily CSF-1 injection, the numbers of monocytes, tissue macrophages, and osteoclasts were remarkably increased, and the macrophages showed morphological maturation. However, the numbers of macrophages in the ovary, uterus, and synovial membrane were not increased. In the bone marrow, macrophage precursors detected by monoclonal antibody ER-MP58 proliferated and differentiated into preosteoclasts and osteoclasts. In the spleen, marginal metallophilic macrophages and marginal zone macrophages developed slowly. In this manner, CSF-1 plays an important role in the development, proliferation, and differentiation of certain tissue macrophage populations and osteoclasts. In the op/op mice, Kupffer cells proliferated, transformed into epithelioid cells and multinucleated giant cells, and participated in glucan-induced granuloma formation. In CSF-1-treated op/op mice, the process of granuloma formation was similar to that in normal littermates due to increased monocytopoiesis and monocyte influx into the granulomas. These results indicate that CSF-1 is a potent inducer of the development and differentiation of CSF-1-dependent monocyte/macrophages, and that CSF-1-independent macrophages also play an important role in granuloma formation. Mol Reprod Dev 46:85–91, 1997. © 1997 Wiley Liss, Inc.     

Quinidine and procainamide inhibit murine macrophage uptake of apoptotic and necrotic cells: A novel contributing mechanism of drug-induced-lupus

A number of mechanisms have been proposed to explain the etiology of drug-induced lupus (DIL) but the effect of apoptotic and necrotic cell handling has not been previously examined.Objective. To evaluate the effect of quinidine and procainamide at therapeutic range concentrations, on the uptake of apoptotic and necrotic thymocytes by murine peritoneal macrophages and on macrophage survival, as a novel mechanism for DIL.Methods. Thymocytes were stained and induced to undergo apoptosis by serum withdrawal. Apoptosis was evaluated using annexin V and propidum iodide (PI) and PI staining. Necrosis was induced by heating. Peritoneal macrophages were treated with quinidine or procainamide at a range of therapeutic concentrations and incubated with stained apoptotic and necrotic thymocytes. Apoptotic and necrotic cell uptake was evaluated by flow cytometry using double staining of thymocytes and macrophages and by confocal microscopy. Green fluorescent latex beads were used as controls for phagocytosis.Results. Significantly decreased uptake of apoptotic and necrotic cells was seen in the presence of quinidine and procainamide. The documented effect was mainly on the number of apoptotic/necrotic cells per macrophage. Uptake of fluorescent latex beads offered to resident macrophages was not significantly affected by quinidine or procainamide. No pro-apoptotic effect of quinidine or procainamide on macrophages was seen.Conclusion. Quinidine and procainamide at therapeutic range concentrations specifically inhibit clearance of apoptotic and necrotic cells by peritoneal macrophages. Altered handling of apoptotic and necrotic cells may represent a contributing mechanism for DIL.     

The Inhibitory Effect of Staphylococcus epidermidis Slime on the Phagocytosis of Murine Peritoneal Macrophages Is Interferon-Independent

The extracellular slime produced by Staphylococcus epidermidis has been shown to interfere with several human neutrophil functions in vitro, such as chemotaxis, degranulation and phagocytosis. Slime production has been suggested as a useful marker for clinically significant infections with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. Since the main role of macrophages in defense mechanisms is phagocytosis, the effect of slime on the phagocytic activity of macrophages was investigated. The phagocytic activity of murine peritoneal macrophages treated with slime in vitro decreased in a dose-dependent fashion. A similar decrease was also observed in macrophages isolated from mice that had previously received intraperitoneal injection of slime. To investigate whether interferon also plays a role in this process, mice were treated with interferon or an interferon inducer, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), together with slime before macrophage isolation. The slime-suppressed phagocytic activity of macrophages was partially relieved by both agents, and the recovery effect of poly I:C in slime-suppressed phagocytosis of macrophages in vivo might be attributed to the increased interferon level in peritoneal fluid and sera. However, when slime was given to poly I:C-pretreated mice, the phagocytic activity remained suppressed. Thus, it appears that slime is able to suppress the phagocytic activity of macrophages regardless of the state of macrophage activation by poly I:C. The results suggest that the inhibition of phagocytosis by S. epidermidis slime may be independent from the activation of interferon.     

In vitro drug screening system using membrane alteration in macrophages byMycobacterium leprae

The observation that liveMycobacterium leprae on entry into macrophages from lepromatous leprosy patients reduced the number of EA rosetting macrophages, was extended to macrophages from Swiss white mice also. Further, the fact that deadMycobacterium leprae do not bring about such a change in macrophages from mice, allowed us to develop this into a bacterial viability testing system. Thus drug treated macrophages in the presence ofMycobacterium leprae showed normal rosetting ability ifMycobacterium leprae are inactivated by the drug, but showed reduced level of rosetting when bacteria were not susceptible to the drug. It was shown that a drug like dapsone, does act onMycobacterium leprae based on its permeability, quantity available inside the macrophages and inhibition of its action by Para amino benzoic acid. The inactivation ofMycobacterium leprae by sulphone and rifampicin was also proved by the flourescence diacetate method, which showed poorly viable bacteria after exposure to drugs. Thus it has been possible to develop a rapid drug screening method for testing the activity of unknown compound againstMycobacterium leprae.     

Effect of Muramyldipeptide,a Synthetic Bacterial Adjuvant,on Enzyme Release from Cultured Mouse Macrophages

Monolayer cultures of macrophages obtained by peritoneal lavage of normal or thioglycollate-stimulated mice spontaneously secreted lysosomal enzymes into the culture medium. When the elicited macrophages were cultured in the presence of muramyldipeptide (MDP), a 20–30% increase in the release of β-glucuro-nidase was consistently observed and the intracellular activity decreased to about 45% of that of control cells after 6–8 days' culture. A stimulatory effect of MDP on lysozyme secretion, though less profound, was also observed. In contrast, release of neither enzyme was stimulated in resident macrophages by the addition of MDP. A neutral α-glucosidase, which has recently been found to localize also in granules of macrophages, remained inside the cells and neither its activity nor its release was affected by the addition of MDP to either type of macrophages. A large amount of lactic dehydrogenase was released only when the resident, not the elicited, macrophages were cultured for 3–4 days and then phagocytosed zymosan.     

Failure of Mouse Peritoneal Macrophage Activation by the Purified Excreted/Secreted Antigens of Toxoplasma gondii

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of excreted/secreted antigens on macrophages infected by Toxoplasma gondii. Six proteins 28, 30, 45, 58, 63 and 145 kDa were separated by different chromatographic techniques. Mouse peritoneal macrophages were treated in vitro and in vivo with these purified fractions. Penetration and proliferation assays of T. gondii in the macrophages were performed in vitro. The different antigens used did not change the rate of penetration and proliferation of the parasites. Therefore, the secreted products, which are capable of provoking an immune response, could not directly activate the macrophages. Furthermore, the secreted products were not cytotoxic and neither did they possess a visible phospholipasic activity which would have increased penetration.     

Effect of mouse genotype on interferon production

Upon induction with Newcastle disease virus, peritoneal macrophages derived from C57BL/6 mice produced ten times as much interferon as macrophages derived from BALB/c mice. This suggested that the alleles of theIf-1 locus are expressed in vitro by these cells. Further evidence for this was obtained by studying interferon production by peritoneal macrophages derived from seven recombinant inbred and one congenic line: in each case there was complete correlation between in vivo and in vitro phenotype: macrophages fromIf-1^l mice were low producers in vitro, and macrophages fromIf-1 ^h mice were high producers in vitro.     

Neisseria gonorrhoeae survives within and modulates apoptosis and inflammatory cytokine production of human macrophages

The human‐adapted organism Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the causative agent of gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted infection. It readily colonizes the genital, rectal and nasalpharyngeal mucosa during infection. While it is well established that N. gonorrhoeae recruits and modulates the functions of polymorphonuclear leukocytes during infection, how N. gonorrhoeae interacts with macrophages present in infected tissue is not fully defined. We studied the interactions of N. gonorrhoeae with two human monocytic cell lines, THP‐1 and U937, and primary monocytes, all differentiated into macrophages. Most engulfed bacteria were killed in the phagolysosome, but a subset of bacteria was able to survive and replicate inside the macrophages suggesting that those cells may be an unexplored cellular reservoir for N. gonorrhoeae during infection. N. gonorrhoeae was able to modulate macrophage apoptosis: N. gonorrhoeae induced apoptosis in THP‐1 cells whereas it inhibited induced apoptosis in U937 cells and primary human macrophages. Furthermore, N. gonorrhoeae induced expression of inflammatory cytokines in macrophages, suggesting a role for macrophages in recruiting polymorphonuclear leukocytes to the site of infection. These results indicate macrophages may serve as a significant replicative niche for N. gonorrhoeae and play an important role in gonorrheal pathogenesis.     

Influence of Pneumocystis carinii on Nitrite Production by Rat Alveolar Macrophages1

ABSTRACT Nitrite production by rat alveolar macrophages was studied to determine the role of L-arginine oxidation in the interaction between these cells and Pneumocystis carinii. Alveolar macrophages from rats obtained from two different breeders were used: rats from Janvier breeder had latent P. carinii infection, while those from Charles River breeder were bred in a germ-free environment. Pneumocystis carinii increased in vitro nitrite generation by unstimulated alveolar macrophages from Janvier rats only, and this was blocked by N^G-monomethyl-L-arginine. Incubation of cells from Janvier and Charles River rats with lipopolysaccharide and/or interferon-gamma increased nitrite production to a similar extent. Pneumocystis carinii partially decreased nitrite release by activated alveolar macrophages, and this was still inhibited by N^G-monomethyl-L-arginine. In the presence of P. carinii, superoxide dismutase used as a superoxide anion scavenger had no effect on nitrite production by activated cells. These results show that prior exposure to P. carinii leads to nitric oxide production by rat alveolar macrophages. Although the magnitude of this production seems to be moderate, it is of biological significance since cells of P. curinii-naive rats do not generate nitrite whereas those of latently infected rats do.     

Glycoconjugate with terminal galactose

Summary Pulmonary macrophages in pre- and postnatal rats were examined histochemically with a battery of peroxidase labeled lectins. Among them, Griffonia simplicifolia agglutinin I-B₄ (GSA I-B₄) which binds specifically to terminal -galactose showed selective affinity in lung for the monocyte-macrophage line. These cells were demonstrable with GSA I-B₄ from the 14th day of gestation through the adult. Extension to the ultrastructural level showed strong selective binding of this lectin to the surface of the plasmalemma and inner face of membranes limiting phagosomes in macrophages. At day 14 of gestation, monocytelike cells positive with GSA I-B₄ were scattered in various organs including lung. The lectin reactive cells in lung increased in number and size with development, infiltrating the interstitium through day 20 of gestation and then also entering the alveolar space. These findings suggest that GSA I-B₄ recognizes a surface glycoconjugate characteristic of the pulmonary monocyte-macrophage line. Such selective lectin affinity offers a marker for detecting the pulmonary macrophages and examining their kinetics by light and electron microscopy.