[Effects of histones on phagocytosis and phagocytic metabolism].

Enhanced phagocytosis and no intracellular glycogen breakdown was found in guinea-pig peritoneal polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) incubated together with heat-killed staphylococci (Twort) treated with a calf thymus histone fraction (P II), for 1 hr at 37 degrees C. Glcose consumption and lactate production of these PMN's were as high as in phagocytosis of the same germ untreated with P II, and their oxygen consumption was depressed significantly.