Light and electron microscopical studies of in vivo phagocytosis of Trypanosoma congolense by circulating blood leukocytes in Mastomys natalensis (multimammate rats).

摘要

Microscopical examination of peripheral blood smears and electron microscopy of blood samples from Mastomys natalensis intraperitoneally infected with Trypanosoma congolense revealed phagocytosis of the trypanosomes by circulating blood leukocytes.Different stages of phagocytosis, namely adhesion, ingestion and digestion, were observed. Phagocytosis occurred around the peak of parasitaemia and was carried out mainly by circulating neutrophilic granulocytes and less frequently by blood monocytes and eosinophilic granulocytes. It was concluded that phagocytosis of trypanosomes plays an important role in the defence mechanism against trypanosome infection, and that it constitutes a major way in which an infected animal may rid itself of or limit thetrypanosome antigen load.