Free amino acid content of lymphocytes nd granulocytes compared.

For extracting free amino acids from human leukocytes, we find that disruption of the cells by ultrasonication is more reliable than freezing and thawing. The amount of free amino acids extracted by the latter method depends on the temperature and duration of thawing. We extracted free amino acids from leukocytes of healthy men by ultrasonication and compared their concentrations in lymphocytes and granulocytes. The amino acid content of granulocytes significantly (p less than 0.001) exceeded that of lymphocytes. Of the amino acids extracted from granulocytes, 76% was taurine; for lymphocytes taurine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid were predominant, respectively composing 44%, 17%, and 26% of the total. Taurine is proposed as an index of cell disruption.