A dual laser analysis of the migration of XRITC-labeled, FITC-labeled, and double-labeled lymphocytes in sheep.

Substituted rhodamine isothiocyanate (XRITC) has been used to study lymphocyte migration in sheep. After being labeled in vitro with XRITC, lymphocytes appeared in the efferent lymph of single lymph nodes with the same kinetics as cells labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). The recovery of intravenously injected XRITC-labeled cells was followed in lymph for several days. The kinetics and recoveries were compared with data obtained using FITC, chromium-51, and indium-111. XRITC was found to be a suitable label and, using dual laser (argon and krypton) flow cytometry, it could be analyzed simultaneously with FITC. In addition, it was possible to relabel FITC-stained cells with XRITC after they were recovered in lymph. The migratory characteristics of such double-labeled cells were not different from single-labeled cells.