The Host's Cellular Immune Status and Therapy for Liver Cancer

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Salmonella typhosa was injected into the peritoneum of ICR mice. Light and electron microscopic changes of neutrophils in both the systemic circulation and in the marginal zone of the spleen were studied, both without (Oh) and 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 36 and 48h after the LPS treatment. Sequestration of the circulating neutrophils into the marginal zone of the spleen was observed after the LPS treatment. The neutrophils both in the circulation and in the marginal zone of the spleen were damaged by the LPS treatment, as evidenced by 1) toxic cytoplasmic granules, 2) degranulation and vacuolation, 3) dilatation of the rough- and smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulums and 4) dilatation of the nuclear envelope. The damage was most marked some or all of the above mentioned signs of damage, while 100% of the neutrophils in the marginal zone of the spleen did so. The degree of damage was more marked in the neutrophils in the marginal zone than in those of the circulation. It was concluded from these findings that the splenic marginal zone actively traps the neutrophils damaged by the bacterial toxin, rather than being invaded by, undamaged neutrophils from the circulation. The trapping most likely is done by the reticulum cell meshwork in the marginal zone, helped in part by phagocytes