THE PHAGOCYTIC POWER OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS

By the tryptic digestion of cultures in vitro of avian and mammalian connective tissue, suspensions of individual, living cells have been obtained. Their ability to phagocyte carmine and bacteria has been tested. The great majority of them fail to take up either, but a few large cells are able to do so. They will ingest bacteria only when serum is present; that is, they require the interaction of opsonins. There is good reason to suppose that the phagocytic cells are endothelial in nature. Should they prove to be fibroblasts, like the other elements present, the fact will remain that the phagocytic power of fibroblasts is practically negligible. Their failure to ingest foreign matter in vivo is to be laid not to the obstacles offered by the solidity of the tissue they compose, but to an inherent lack of ability on their part. The phagocytosis of blood pigment, bacteria, etc., which takes place in granulation tissue in vivo is probably carried on wholly by endothelial cells and wandering cells.