Comparison of different methods for separation of human, mouse and rat macrophages and lymphocytes.

This paper gives a comparison of the following methods used for separating mouse or rat spleen peritoneal cells, and mononuclear cells from human peripheral blood: adherence to glass wool, repeated adherence to polystyrene, adherence to polystyrene with subsequent detachment of adherent cells by scraping, or by lidocaine or dispase treatment, adherence to polystyrene coated with foetal calf serum; and subsequent release of adherent cells by means of EDTA, adherence to Sephadex G-10 columns, phagocytosis of carbonyl nickel and subsequent separation on the Ficoll-Verografin mixture, or phagocytosis of silica particles. The techniques in italics seem most suitable for routine use.