[Phagocytic lymphocyte-like elements (PLLE) and irradiation in vitro].

The peripheral blood of rats contains lymphocyte-like phagocytes after intracardial injection of India ink. In vitro irradiation of whole blood (1000 r - 60Co), causes marked reduction in whole lymphocytes but does not modify the number and morphological integrity of the phagocytes, which can therefore be held to be comparatively radioresistant: as such, they could belong either to the mononucleate phagocyte system or to the lymphatic system (T4 lymphocytes). Since T-lymphocytes are not capable of phagocytosis, the former hypothesis would appear the most probable.