Chemiluminescence and chemotaxis assay of canine granulocytes: a methodological study.

Chemiluminescence (CL) of isolated granulocytes and of whole blood from dogs was evaluated. Chemiluminescence of whole blood samples created an undesired quenching effect by the red blood cells which makes the assay difficult to apply in pathological cases with low formation of oxygen metabolites. This problem was avoided when chemiluminescence was determined, using isolated granulocytes. A cell concentration of 5 x 10(9)/l was needed to create optimal conditions. The Boyden chamber technique was used for study of random migration and chemotaxis. Casein (0.1%), zymosan activated serum with and without epsilon-amino-n-caproic-acid and homologous serum were effective chemoattractants for canine granulocytes, while FMLP (formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanin) did not attract canine granulocytes.