[Electron-radioautographic study of phagocytosis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by neutrophils].

RNA synthesis was studied in the bacteria and neutrophils from healthy persons having phagocytosis. Elevation of RNA synthesis occurred in the neutrophils with phagocytic activities. The rate of labelled RNA precursor incorporation into the bacteria was used as a measure of their viability. This measure made it possible to judge the bactericidal action displayed by neutrophils, to follow the progressive suppression of bacterial vital activity at the stages of phagocytosis, and to detect the fusion of phagosomas varying in their life duration. The phagosomal fusion is a factor that promotes the retention of viability shown by some bacteria following phagocytosis. It was demonstrated that even ultrastructural morphological characterization of bacterial cells is not always a reliable criterion for their viability.