In vivo cultivation of leukocytes in diffusion chambers: requirement of ascorbic acid for differentiation of mononuclear leukocytes to fibroblasts.

ill sllhcutaneous diffusion chambers have demonstrated that certain mononuclear leukocytes ( lymphocytes and/or monocytes ) from the blood of huniaii adults, vlien so cultivated, have a “mesenchymal” capacity audi are capable of undergoing differentiation to macrophages and to collagen-producing fibroblasts) The cells possessing this capacity for differentiation are probably identical with those mononuclear leukocytes which undergo mitosis in tissue cultures of blood2 and which become rapidly labeled with tnitiated thymidine, in vivo. The present studies were undertaken to evaluate the role of ascorbic acid upon this system, since it is known that huffy coat letikocytes are rich in ascorbic acid, and that this vitamin is essential for normal phagocytosis, wound healing and collagen formation.4’5 Mononuclear leukocytes from both normal and sccrhutic guinea pigs were cultivated subcutaneously in diffusion chambers