[Inflammatory reaction to polyester material in the guinea pig. V. Semiautomatic determination of peritoneal cell volume].

The volume of the peritoneal cells of guinea pigs treated with injections of 1) minced polyester threads (Mersilene), 2) saline, and of untreated animals, has been determined utilizing a Coulter Counter coupled with a pulse height analyzer. The volumetric test on the whole cell population has emphasized a distinctly bimodal distribution, due to the presence of two cellular types picked out as first peak (P 1 degrees) and second peak (P 2 degrees), while the non-adherent cells (CNA) have shown an unimodal distribution. Statistically significant difference in the mean volumes have been found between the P 1 degrees and P 2 degrees cells and between the CNA and P 1 degrees cells. The percentage of CNA in the whole cell population significantly decreases in "Mersilene"-treated guinea pigs.