Blood, 1953, Vol. 8, No. 6, pp. 524-535.
© 1953 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
The Nature of Neutral Red Staining Refractive Particles in
the Lymphocytes of the Blood of Normal Humans
LOUIS H. HEMPELMANN M.D.1 and
NORMAN P. KNOWLTON JR. M.D.1
1 Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Los Alamos, N. Mex., the Division of Experimental Radiology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry,
Rochester, N. Y., and the Department of Medicine, Washington University School of
Medicine, St. Louis, Mo.
1. The refractive neutral red staining particles seen in unstained or supravitally
stained lymphocytes have the following properties: They are birefringent and
show a polarization cross. Their refractive index is 1.45 to 1.48. They are soluble
in fat solvents, in cold alcohol and in strong but not weak acid or base. They
stain with lipid stains and basic dyes and are increased in number by the action
of neutral red on supravital preparations of blood cells.
2. These properties are interpreted as indicating that the particles seen in
human lymphocytes are composed of lipid material. It is probable that much of
the fat is of the polar-apolar type, possibly phospholipid in nature.
3. The refractive particles are believed to be the counterparts in human
lymphocytes of the phospholipid-containing droplets which occur in somatic
cells of other mammalian tissue.
4. The significance of the increase in numbers of these droplets under certain
conditions and their relationship to the Golgi apparatus are discussed.
Submitted on October 15, 1952
Accepted on November 26, 1952
