Direct comparison between in vivo and in vitro microsized particle phagocytosis assays in Drosophila melanogaster

• The effects of micro and nanoparticles on the innate immune system have been widely investigated and a general lack of agreement between in vivo and in vitro assays has been observed. In order to determine the origin of these discrepancies, there is a need for comparing the results of in vivo and in vitro phagocytosis assays obtained using the same particles and same immune cells. Here, we establish an in vivo polystyrene microsized particle phagocytosis assay in Drosophila melanogaster and compare it with an in vitro assay consisting of exposing the same immune cells in culture to the same particles. The distribution of number of phagocytized beads per cell was shifted to lower numbers of beads per cell in the case of the in vitro assay compared to the in vivo assay, which we suggest is partly due to a reduced amount of membrane available in cultured cells.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Farmakologi och toxikologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Pharmacology and Toxicology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Annan fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Other Physics Topics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Drosophila melanogaster

Immune cells

Particle toxicology

Phagocytosis

Phagocytosis assay

Polystyrene beads

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)