Differences in surface morphology of alveolar macrophages attached to glass and to millipore filters: a scanning electron microscope study.

The topography of alveolar macrophages (AM) attached to glass or to Millipore filters was scanning electron microscopy. The cells were obtained from normal and from BCG-vaccinated rabbits. Macrophages that adhered to glass tended to spread while essentially all of the cells that adhered to the Millipore filters remained rounded. The surface morphology of AM attached to Millipore filters closely resembles the morphology of these cells when viewed in situ on the alveolar wall. The use of Millipore filters to study the effect of microbial or host products on cell surface alterations of AM is discussed.