A rapid microtechnique for in vitro stimulation of canine lymphocytes using whole blood.

A simple, rapid microtechnique utilizing whole blood has been developed for evaluating the in vitro stimulation of canine lymphocytes. The test uses 5 ul. of heparinized whole blood per culture in a microtiter plate and requires no serum supplement. Cultures are harvested by an automated multiple sample cell harvester. This technique permits large numbers of replicate samples to be tested on individual animals with minimal amounts of blood and minimal technician time.