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Abstract
Although the mouse has been used extensively as a model for the study of host-parasite
relationships, murine neutrophils have not been used nearly as often as PMNs from
other species for in vitro functional assays due to lack of a commonly used procedure
for murine neutrophil collection. These studies compared two eliciting agents and
characterized the phagocytic and bactericidal activity of murine polymorphonuclear
neutrophils elicited from the peritoneal cavity. We examined the effects of mouse
strain (BALB/c, C57BL/6 and DBA/2) and sex, eliciting agent (0.2% glycogen vs. 3%
fluid thioglycolate medium) and donor sacrifice method (ether vs. cervical dislocation)
on the number of neutrophils recovered in peritoneal exudate. The greatest number
of neutrophils was harvested when mice were sacrificed 5 h after intraperitoneal injection
of 2.5 ml of 3% thioglycolate medium. This method as described allows reproducible
collection of adequate numbers of neutrophils for use in in vitro assays of neutrophils
phagocytic and bactericidal function.