surface electrical properties of splenic lymphocytes of bilharazial and non-bilharzial subjects

ABSTRACT

The membrane surface electrical properties of spleine lymphocytes from an accident victim [control] and from Egyptian bilharzial patients were studied by electro-rotation. Phytohaemagglutenines [PHA-P and PHA-M] or pokeweed [PWM] were the mitogens used for cell stimulation. The unstimulated bilharzial lymphocytes had larger radii than those from the control probably because they were already stimulated by the disease state. After stimulation, all lymphocytes increased steadily in size and consequently in membrane are. The values for membrane capacity [C[M]] were higher for control lymphocytes than for bilharzial cells. All CM values were increased with the duration of stimulation except for the bilharzilal cells incubated with PMW, which peaked on day 1 and deteriorated very rapidly after that. The values calculated for membrane conductivity [G[M]] followed a different pattern. The C[M], levels exhibited peak values after different durations of stimulations depending on the cell type [control or bilharzial] and the mitogen used. The changes in conductivity may reflect alterations in transmembrane transfer activity