The Respiration of Leucocytes

Bisset, Sheenah K (1959) The Respiration of Leucocytes. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

1. Normal human leucocytes, taken from patients under basal conditions respire at a rate of 0.111 +/- 0.023 mu moles per hour per 107 cells. 2. Moderate exercise by the blood donor, prior to venepuncture results in an average increase in oxygen consumption of the leucocytes of 54% over the control level. 3. The oxygen consumption of leucocytes taken from patients on salicylate therapy, increases with increasing salicylate concentration between 20-60 mg. per 100 ml. plasma. Between 0-20 mg. salicylate per 100 ml. plasma, there is no increase in oxygen consumption. 4. In vitro, normal human leucocytes show a response to sodium salicylate. Between 0-40 mg. sodium salicylate per 100 ml. medium, the oxygen consumption increases with increasing salicylate concentration, reaching a maximum at 40 mg. per 100 ml. Between 40-70 mg. per 100 ml. medium, the respiration decreases and from 70-160 mg. per 100 ml. medium, the oxygen consumption is depressed to values lower than normal. 5. There is a direct relationship between the oxygen uptake of leucocytes and B.M.R. of the patient. Thirty-six patients with different degrees of thyroid activity were studied. The leucocytes from hyperthyroid patients had an oxygen uptake of 0.185 +/- 0.037 mumoles per hour per 10e7 cells. leucocytes from euthyroids had an oxygen uptake of 0.119 +/- 0.021 mumoles per hour per 10e7 cells. The leucocytes from myxoedematous patients had an oxygen uptake of 0.083 +/- 0. 016 mumoles per hour per 10e7 cells. 6. The oxygen consumption of leucocytes from three cases of myxoedema and three cases of hyperthyroidism was studied before and after therapy. In the three cases of myxoedema, the oxygen consumption of the leucocytes increased with thyroxine therapy. In the three cases of hyperthyroidism the oxygen consumption of the leucocytes decreased with 131I therapy. 7. An injection of 5 mg. TRIAC was given to two myxoedematous patients and the oxygen uptake of the patients' leucocytes was determined at fixed intervals after injection. The leucocytes from the first patient gave a significant increase in oxygen consumption at 30 minutes. At 2 hours the oxygen consumption had increased by more than 100%. The second patient gave no significant increase in oxygen consumption until 3 hours after injection. At that time, there was an increase in oxygen uptake of the leucocytes of 50%. 8. There was no increase in oxygen uptake of leucocytes from normal patients with TRIAC in the range 0-50 mug. per 100 ml. medium. 9. Leucocytes from eight cases of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (Myeloid cells 96% of the total) had an oxygen uptake of 0.126 +/- 0.039 mumoles per hour per 10e7 cells. Leucocytes from eight cases of Chronic Lymphatic Leukaemia (lymphocytes: 94%) had an oxygen uptake of 0.160 +/- 0.032 mumoles per hour per 10e7 cells. It is not considered that these values are significantly different either from each other, or from the values obtained for normal human leucocytes.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: Biochemistry
• Date of Award: 1959
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1959-79325
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 05 Mar 2020 10:44
• Last Modified: 05 Mar 2020 10:44
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/79325