HEMOLYSIS AND PHAGOCYTOSIS OF RED BLOOD CORPUSCLES 1 5 



The deposits, thus freed from all traces of serum, were then mixed with 

 equal parts of '85 % saline solution, and were rapidly drawn up and 

 down in capillary pipettes to produce a uniform suspension. 



Equal quantities of each deposit and of washed human leucocytes 

 were mixed in capillary pipettes, which were then kept at 37° C. for 15 

 minutes. Films were made and stained in the usual manner. 



In the control the phagocytosis of the red cells was marked, 93 % of 

 the leucocytes containing red cells, but in the dilutions of i in 220, etc., 

 no phagocytosis could be seen, altough 100 leucocytes in each case were 

 counted. 



It was scarcely to be supposed that the absence of phagocytosis was 

 to be attributed to lack of the haemolytic amboceptor in these dilutions, 

 since haemolysis took place, in one case to a marked extent, in the 

 corresponding complemented tubes under conditions similar to those in 

 which the uncomplemented series used in the phagocytic tests was 

 placed. 



The natural conclusion to be drawn from these experiments is that 

 the haemolytic amboceptor is not identical with the substance inducing 

 the phagocytosis of red blood cells. 



As was indicated previously in this paper, the possibility has been 

 suggested by Dean that the opsonic action may be induced by a 

 complement acting through an amboceptor. 



The complementary part of the action would be suppressed by heat, 

 while the amboceptor might go on acting in such a way as to still cause 

 phagocytosis. 



It is very difficult to disprove this theory by direct experiment for 

 several reasons. The complement is destroyed at the same temperature 

 as the opsonin. If one add fresh complement, i.e.y fresh guinua-pig 

 serum, it is impossible to exclude the effect of the inherent opsonic 

 property it possesses. Thus it is impossible to say how far the increase 

 in opsonic power in such a case might be due to a complementary action, 

 apart from the opsonic property possessed by fresh sera generally. 



To this view of Dean's, however, there are various objections. 



In the first place, we have as yet no example of such on action of 

 immune substances. In the case of haemolysis, which is a typical 

 example of the action of amboceptor and complement, when we destroy 

 the complement by heat, no haemolysis takes place, notwithstanding the 



(315) 



