Non-immunological recognition and killing of xenogeneic cells by macrophages. III. Destruction of fish cells by murine macrophages.

Abstract Non-immune non-activated murine peritoneal macrophages killed in vitro fish ( Cyprinus carpio ) PHA-induced lymphoblasts. Addition of PHA and WGA to effector-target cell cultures did not potentiate the killing. This killing (xenolysis) was expressed by non-elicited and thioglycollate-elicited macrophages as well as by macrophages depleted of lymphocytes. It is suggested that mammalian macrophages have a xenolytic potential towards phylogenetically distant species which is analogous to the capacity of invertebrate phagocytes to destroy xenografts.