Nonspecific binding by macrophages: different modulation of adhesive properties of rat peritoneal cells after plating on a glass or a plastic surface.

Rat peritoneal cells can bind immunoglobulin-coated sheep red cells (IGSRC), glutaraldehyde-treated sheep red cells (GSPC), Leishmania, latex beads, and autologous thymocytes in a serum-deprived medium. When macrophages were plated on plastic Petri dishes, their ability to bind thymocytes and GSRC was decreased ninefold and fourfold, respectively, as compared to macrophages adhering to glass coverslips. However, the binding of IGSRC, Leishmania, and latex was not significantly dependent on the nature of the surface where peritoneal cells were plated. Sequential adhesion to plastic and glass did not reveal any cell subpopulation adhering only to one substrate. The ability of plastic-bound macrophages to bind thymocytes or GSRC was not restored after a 16 hr culture. Hence, some cell properties may be strikingly dependent on the nature of the surface where these cells are plated.