Isolation and characterization of resident macrophages from guinea pig and human intestine.

The evaluation of mucosal cellular immune function in the gastrointestinal tract has focused on properties of lymphocytes. We describe methods for use in guinea pig and human tissue that will now permit the maintenance and in vitro study of intestinal macrophages. This study characterizes the resident gastrointestinal macrophage population in the two species and shows that morphologic and ultra-structural characteristics are similar to macrophages from other tissues. Histochemically, the cells are esterase positive and peroxidase negative. They possess surface receptors for immunoglobulin G and complement, and are phagocytic via the Fc receptor.