AN ATTEMPT AT A SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE CLASSIFICATION OF THE ACIDOPHILIC GRANULOCYTES OF SOME MARINE FISHES

¹ Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

Highly magnified colored photomicrographs of the acidophilic granulocytes stained with Wright's stain of forty-three species of marine fishes were studied in an attempt to relate subjective descriptions of the cells to objective measurements of the transmission of monochromatic red light by the acidophilic materials (rods granules, or vesicles). Four types of acidophils are classified by the distribution of the acidophilic materials, clear spaces and basophilic matrix of the cytoplasm. Objectively these types are classified statistically by the X2 method for deviations from a control transmission obtained in this case from the mean transmission by acidophilic materials in photomicrographs of human eosinophils prepared and photographed under the same conditions as was done in the fishes.

The data are presented in a chart (Fig. 1) showing the class, and species from which the cells came; type of cell (A, B, C, or D); transmission of the red light in foot candles/1.0 mm² by the acidophilic materials; range of significant deviations from the control as calculated by the X2 method.

Briefly, cells with only acidophilic granules, are found in only one species, T. torpedo, of the Chondrichthyes and the transmissions not significantly different from the control. Cells of type B, characterized by acidophilic materials (granules, rods or vesicles) and clear areas, predominate in the Chondrichthyes, and most of them have significantly low transmission; a few species of Osteichthyes, have such cells, and the transmissions are sufficiently variable to justify the use of the objective data as a tool in classification. Cells of type C, with acidophilic materials (granules and vesicles) and basophilic matrix, predominate in the Osteichthyes. There are a few species of Chondrichthyes which have them and in most of these cells the transmission is significantly higher than the control. In the Osteichthyes, these cells are characteristic and in practically all species, the transmission is either higher than the control, or not significantly different. Very few species have cells with significantly low transmission. Again it may be pointed out that the objective differences in the cells of type C permit a classification which could be of taxonomic value. Finally, the cells of type D, with acidophilic vesicles, clear spaces and basophilic matrix are not represented in the Chondrichthyes. One sample was found in the Marsipobranchii, but all the rest are in species of Osteichthyes. In only one species is the transmission significantly higher than the control, the transmissions by the cells of the other species are either not significantly different from the control, or are lower.

It is concluded from this pilot study that the objective results obtained from measurements of transmission of monochromatic red cell light by the acidophilic components in photomicrographs of the acidophils of fishes stained with Wright's stain, to warrant its use with modification as a tool in the objective study of blood cells in smears.