Abstract
1) On the cells in peritoneal cavity of the sensitized guinea pigs the cellular reaction to the antigen, the dye protein (DPO No.3), has been traced hourly after the injection of the antigen.
2) It has been revealed that of various inflammatory cells the macrophages only show a specific morphologic change by contacting with the homologous antigen causing a rapid swelling to a round shape and being stained diffusely by the dye protein.
3) These cells seems to adsorb the antigen on the cell surface resulting in the degeneration of the cytoplasmic membrane. The swelling of cells was followed by the reduction of basophilicity of nucleus and the deformation of cytoplasm showing the partial and irregular “shedding off” of cytoplasm. Further observations revealed that these cells lose their cytoplasm perfectly and disappear by the followed degradation of nucleus.
4) From these observations the author asserted that this should be the cellular reaction of the antibody-containing cells to the antigen supporting the view of the antibody formation in the macrophages.
