The use of glycogen-induced guinea pig polymorphonuclear leukocytes to detect inhibitors of chemotaxis found in human serum.

Glycogen-induced guinea pig polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) were employed in experiments designed to establish the optimal conditions for casein-stimulated chemotaxis. Subsequently, it was shown that guinea pig PMNs, in a serum-free medium, were susceptible to inhibition of migration by three distinct types of cell-directed inhibitors of chemotaxis found in normal or diseased human sera. Comparison of inhibition of migration of both guinea pig and human peripheral PMNs showed that guinea pig and human PMNs were equally susceptible to inhibition by sera from trauma victims; this inhibitor had a molecular weight of about 10,000 d. Human PMNs were slightly more susceptible than were guinea pig PMNs to inhibition of migration by a approximately 110,000-d inhibitor found in normal human sera. On the other hand, guinea pig PMNs were somewhat more susceptible to inhibition of migration by a approximately 400,000-d inhibitor of chemotaxis that was analogous to the inhibitor found in anergic serum. This information shows that guinea pig PMNs, in a serum-free medium, may be substituted for human cells in quantitative assays for these human serum factors.