A morphological assessment of macrophages attaching to subcutaneously implanted coverslips in dogs with chronic lymphoedema.

In an experimental model of chronic lymphoedema in the dog leg it has been shown that the presence of lymphoedema was associated with reduced numbers of macrophages found on subcutaneously implanted coverslips. Total numbers of mononuclear cells were not, however, significantly affected. When expressed as a percentage of the total mononuclear cells attached, the lymphoedematous limbs always had only half those of the corresponding normal limbs. Similarly, the percentage of macrophages with two or more pseudopods on the coverslips in the lymphoedematous limbs was only 1/3 of that for the same morphological criteria in normal limbs. However, when the macrophages with vacuoles were expressed as a percentage of the total macrophages, there was always a higher percentage in the lymphoedematous limbs compared with the corresponding normal ones.