Generation of new macrophages after injection of killed Brucella abortus organisms

Summary The kinetics of macrophage formation after intravenous injection of inactivated Brucella organisms was investigated in mice. Newly formed macrophages sampled from the peritoneal cavity were identified by their adherence to glass and their recent uptake of tritiated thymidine ( ³ H-thymidine). Radiolabelled cells increased in number from the fifth day after bacterial injection. On the seventh day they were about 20 times as numerous as in the controls. The injection of Brucella also increased the number of Kupffer cells in the liver. The variations in radioactivity in this organ were parallel to those in peritoneal adherent cells.