An ultrastructural and enzyme cytochemical study of the response of the neutrophil series to a local inflammatory stimulus in the rat.

Changes in neutrophil precursor populations in the bone marrow and their alkaline phosphatase reactivity following an inflammatory stimulus were studied in the rat using an osmiophilic method. Seven groups each of 3 Sprague-Dawley rats received subcutaneous injections of turpentine, and femoral marrow was examined at intervals up to 72 hr. Depletion of mature neutrophils resulted in an increased first in the myeloblast-promyelocyte compartment and at 48-72 hr in the myelocyte-metamyelocyte population. By 72 hr replenishment of the mature neutrophil marrow population had begun. Within 6 hr marked acceleration of cytoplasmic maturation was evident, together with accelerated synthetic activity, manifested by marked dilatation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and an enlarged Golgi. Together with these changes there was an increase in the number of alkaline phosphatase reactive cells, which was evident first in the myeloblast-promyelocyte population at 2 hr. An absolute increase in the amount of enzyme reaction product associated with individual cells was also seen.