Summary
It has been suggested that human platelets possess the ability to phagocytose particulate
matter similar to the polymorphonuclear leukocyte. However some difference of opinion
has arisen regarding this contention, particularly as differences have been demonstrated
with regard to the observed metabolic changes occurring in platelets related to such
a process.
The experiments reported in this paper were designed to observe the aerobic and anaerobic
metabolism in human platelets during and following interiorization of two different
particles, viz. polystyrene latex and thorotrast. The results of these experiments
show a marked difference between both types of particles with regard to observable
metabolic changes despite the rapid interiorization of both types of material. Some
alteration occurs in both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism a considerable time after
interiorization of latex, whereas no alteration could be demonstrated after interiorization
of thorotrast. It is suggested that the interiorization of particulate matter is by
some process other than phagocytosis and that observed metabolic changes related to
latex may be due to a release reaction.