Cytochemical characterization of cultured adult, guinea pig glomerular cells.

Methods are described for culture of intact or trypsin-digested adult guinea pig glomeruli. Cell types grown from intact glomeruli were distinctly different from those which dominated cultures of trypsin dissociated glomerular cells as determined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy as well as by fluorescence or enzyme cytochemical reaction with lectins and immunofluorescence cytochemical staining for actin or fibronectin. Cells with long cytoplasmic extensions (glomerular epithelial cells), cultured from intact glomeruli, have strong affinity for concanavalin-A and soybean agglutinin which react with glucose and galactose residues respectively.

Immune adherence in renal glomeruli. Complement receptor sites on glomerular capillary epithelial cells.

Several very recent reports have indicated the presence of receptor sites for the third component of complement in human but not other vertebrate renal glomeruli. The present study constitutes a demonstration that the glomerular capillary epithelial cell bears this receptor, detectable with either EAC complexes (EAC1423b) or fluores ceinated zymosan-C3 (ZC3b) complexes, Fresh, unfixed frozen sections of normal or diseased human kidneys, mechanically isolated human glomeruli, dissociated glomerular cells, and glomeruli and golmerular cells maintained in tissue culture were examined with various EAC complexes or ZC3b and examined by phase light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, or transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Clearly, by scanning electron microscopy it was determined that glomerular capillary epithelial cells bind the immune-adherence EAC indicator cells.

Characteristics of streptolysin O action.

A study of the lysis of rabbit erythrocytes by streptolysin O (SO) revealed at least two steps in the hemolytic process. The initial interaction between SO and erythrocytes is the adsorption of the toxin molecule to the cell surface. Adsorption occurred at 4 C and was independent of ionic strength and pH; these results suggest that hydrophobic interactions between SO and the cell may be important in this process.