[Accumulation of glycoproteins in activated neutrophilic granulocytes]

In contrast to the diffuse isotropic staining of control granulocytes activated ones by the 4th hour of experiment with phagocytosis show an intensive anisotropic staining with the topo-optical reaction of vicinal OH-groups i.e. ABT reaction. Appearance of the intensive birefringence is in a close connection with the significant increase of the glycoprotein content of granulocytes detectable also by other biochemical techniques. This phenomenon is not influenced neither by the nature of activating particules nor by the fact of their engulfing. Thus accumulation of glycoproteins may be considered as a phenomenon of general activation of granulocytes. Electronmicroscopically the main quantity of glycoproteins accumulated may be demonstrated in the primary granules. Intensive positive spheritic birefringence of these granules detected in semithin sections by ABT reaction seems to indicate that vicinal OH groups of the accumulated glycogen are aligned parallel to the surface of granules in highly linear molecular orientation which indicates the existence of a close connection between glycoproteins and lysosome membranes. Considering the increased glycogen content of Golgi membranes of activated cells it can be assumed that it is synthesized de novo in the first 4 hour of the activation process. Experimental model described makes possible a detailed morphological and biochemical study of accumulated glycogen and assessment of its functional importance.