The influence of different cultivating conditions on polymorphonuclear leukocyte apoptotic processes in vitro, I: the morphological characteristics of PMN spontaneous apoptosis.

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) populations incubated in vitro with normal human serum are save-regulated systems of spontaneous apoptosis. Light microscopy (LM), transmission (TEM), and scanning (SEM) electron microscopes were used for the evalution of PMN apoptopic alteration. Twelve-hour PMN populations were represented by optimal number of normal and different apoptotic forms. Their ultrastructural analysis showed that on this background, 3 apoptotic cell lines (code named "first," "second," and "third") were predominated. The following characteristics were featured: "first"--vacuolization of same organelles, release of their content outside, increase of general cytoplasmic density, nuclear filling with condensed chromatin, and formation of PMNs mainly into small, round, dense forms; "second"--involvement of micronuclei or nuclei in apoptosis, their displacement to the cytoplasmic membrane and separation from the cells, and cytoplasm had numerous intact granules almost until the completion of apoptosis; "third"--synchronous apoptotic process of the nuclei and cytoplasm, moderate electronic density of cytoplasm, and granular translocation to the cell surface. Secondary necrosis was completed mainly in the apoptotic process of the "second" and "third" lines. SEM surfaces confirmed the results of TEM. This research showed that neutrophil spontaneous apoptosis is a complicated process. The 3 apoptotic cell lines reflect different pathways characteristic for the studied systems under certain conditions of cultivation.