Isolation of ovine lymphocytes, granulocytes, and monocytes by counterflow centrifugation elutriation

A simple, brief 1-step counterflow centrifugation elutriation technique is described for the recovery of highly purified populations of lymphocytes and granulocytes from adult and fetal ovine peripheral blood. Monocytes are obtained as an enriched population. Lymphocyte and granulocyte recoveries average 80%, higher than with routine gradient centrifugation procedures. In this described technique, inexpensive medium is used, and it is completed in about 90 minutes. The individual blood cellular populations, when tested appropriately, demonstrated normal functional responses.