THE EFFECTS OF ANTIBODIES ON CELLS. I. BIOCHEMICAL AND HISTOCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF ANTIBODIES AND COMPLEMENT ON ASCITES TUMOUR CELLS

Abstract

Biochemical and histochemical methods were used to study the interaction of antibodies and complement with mouse Ehrlich ascites tumour cells.

In the presence of complement, both iso- and hetero-antibodies caused cell lysis with penetration of antibodies into the damaged cells, as detected by immunofluorescence; the cells were then unable to support aerobic glycolysis though they retained their ability to consume oxygen in the presence of succinate. Under these conditions there was unmasking of phospholipid particularly at the cell surface, together with lysosomal changes resulting in diffuse staining for lysosomal acid—phosphatase.

In the absence of complement, antibodies did not appear to penetrate the cells which respired normally and were not lysed. However, in these cells there was intense lysosomal activation accompanied by unmasking of cytoplasmic phospholipid; it appeared that an immune reaction confined to the cell surface was able to induce changes in the cytoplasm without acutely impairing the viability of the cell.