A biochemical profile of glass-adherent cell populations containing multinucleated foreign body giant cells

Some biochemical characteristics of peritoneal macrophages, subcutaneous macrophages and subcutaneous cell populations containing multinucleate giant cells were compared. Subcutaneous macrophages possessed higher concentrations of succinate dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, aryl hydroxylase, free RNase II, lecithin and free fatty acids than peritoneal macrophages, while the latter had higher concentrations of 5' -nucleotidase esterified cholesterol. These differences may be due to environmental variations depending on their anatomical position or more likely to their degree of activation. As significant numbers of multinucleate giant cells appear in the subcutaneous population the concentration aryl hydroxylase, 5' -nucleotidase lactate dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, free ribonuclease II and esterified cholesterol falls. The concentration of succinate dehydrogenase decreases but then rises while the concentration of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase increases. These highlight the differences between cell populations containing multinucleated giant cells and those composed from their precursor mononuclear phagocytes only.