A flow cytometric assay to quantify in vivo bacterial uptake by alveolar macrophages

Abstract Our laboratory has developed a flow cytometric assay to quantify alveolar macrophage (MФ) phagocytosis of bacteria within a live animal. MФs collected by bronchoalveolar lavage from rats infected transtracheally with Syto 9-labeled bacteria are fluorescently labeled for identification and analyzed by flow cytometry to quantify their bacterial uptake.