Studies of gallium accumulation in inflammatory lesions. IV. Kinetics of accumulation and role of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the distribution of gallium in experimental inflammatory exudates.

The kinetics of 67Ga accumulation in experimental inflammatory exudates were studied. In six rabbits with S. aureus induced abscesses, serial samples of exudate and blood were obtained at 1, 2, 4, 24 and 48 hrs after intravenous injection of 67Ga. The accumulation of 67Ga in the inflammatory exudate was slow with an accumulation half-time of 5.5 hrs. The concentration of 67Ga in the abscesses approached that of blood 48 hrs after injection. Analysis of the distribution of 67Ga in the inflammatory exudate revealed that the portion of 67Ga in the cellular fraction (1,600 xg pellet) correlated best with the number of non-viable polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) (r = 0.81). Its correlation with total number of PMN and bacteria was r = 0.69 and r = 0.35, respectively. Autoradiographic studies confirmed that the majority of 67Ga in the cellular fraction of the exudate was associated with non-viable PMN's.