LEUKOCYTE MOTILITY: I. METHOD OF STUDY, NORMAL VARIATION, EFFECT OF PHYSICAL ALTERATIONS IN ENVIRONMENT, AND EFFECT OF IODOACETATE

A method for the study of random and directed motility of human leukocytes obtained from small amounts of peripheral venous blood is presented in which the cells are studied in vitro under standardized conditions and the results are expressed quantitatively. A small population of subjects in varying states of health was studied. Considerable variation in the amount of leukocyte motility was found. Small variations in the physical environment (direction of motility in relation to gravity, and the presence of currents) had little if any influence on motility. No motility was observed in the presence of iodoacetate at a concentration of 10−4 M. These results suggest that the motility observed is active and metabolism dependent.