Studies on the Wandering Leukocytes on the Various Mucosae in Human Subjects and Animals.

The 12th Report of Histochemical Study of Peroxidase

Abstract

1. Six hundred and sixty human subjects as well as eleven animals were tested for the histological study of the wandering leukocytes on the various mucosae. The smear preparations of the secretions from the mucosae were stained with the Wright's or May-Giemsa's stain, and the NAS-B solution (peroxidase stain) was especially used for the differential staining.
2. The present study considered the wandering leukocytes on the conjunctiva, nasal, oral and vaginal mucosae in healthy human subjects, on the other hand, considered those on the conjunctiva, nasal, oral, esophageal, stomachal, intestinal and tracheal mucosae in animals. In summarizing all these results, the wandering leukocytes generally occurred on the mucosae in the following order: the neutrophils (or the pseudoeosinophils), the lymphocytes, the monocytes, the eosinophils and the basophils.
3. The eosinophils were found on the conjunctiva, nasal, 'Oral and vaginal mucosae in human subjects, on the other hand, on the conjunctiva, nasal, oral, stomachal and intestinal mucosae in some mammals. Such cases, however, were not always accompanied with the eosinophilia in the circulating blood.
4. The basophils appeared on the oral mucosa in man, and on the conjunctiva in rabbit. Such cases, however, were not always accompanied with the basophilia in the circulating blood.
5. Some of the wandering leukocytes on the various mucosae were as fresh as in the circulating blood, while some of them were degenerating due to the inhibiting influence of the secretions.
6. Removal of the leukocytes from the body t h rough the eight ways was learned, and the origin as well as the essential nature of the wandering leukocytes were discussed.
The author wishes to express his gratitudes to Professor Mitsui for his kind advice during this work.
This study was carried out with the grant in aid for fundamental scientific research.