THE PHAGOCYTOSIS OF TWO TYPES OF ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGES ON COAL DUST IN VITRO: IMAGE ANALYTICAL AND SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDIES / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

The phagocytic ability and fashion of two types of alveolar macrophages (AM) on coal dust were studied by differential interference contrast microscope, scanning electron microscope and image analyser. This study revealed the phagocytic ability of spherical AM on dust was higher than that of the flat AM. Both types of AM could extend long tenuous filopodia to the coal dusts around the cells. The coal dusts were attached to the cell surface and then were sunk into the macrophage. The amount of the phagocyted coal dusts per unit time were measured by image analytical method which is more exact than other methods. This paper provided not only a new approach for study phagocytosis of macrophage on inorganic dusts, but also some essential morphologic evidences for study of pneumoconiosis.