Isolation of bovine eosinophils and characterization of their leukotriene formation

A method for the isolation of eosinophils from bovine blood is described. Eosinophils were prepurified in a simple centrifugation step and subsequently separated on a Percoll gradient into two populations with densities of 1.088 and 1095 g/cm3, respectively, and a purity of greater than 90%. No apparent differences could be observed in electron micrographs and most of the granules appeared homogenous. A minor fraction of granules appeared to have a lamellated crystalline core structure. Eosinophils of bovine blood generate leukotriene B4 and its stereoisomers but not sulfidopeptide leukotrienes (slow-reacting substance) when stimulated by the Ca-ionophore A23187.