A quantitative method to measure human platelet chemotaxis using indium- 111-oxine-labeled gel-filtered platelets

Human blood platelets have been shown to migrate directionally and specifically toward collagen in plasma in vitro. We have developed a new system to monitor this behavior using a linear 7-compartment chamber with 111In-oxine-labeled gel-filtered platelets. The compartments are separated by various Nuclepore and Millipore filter membranes. Radiolabeled platelets suspended in plasma are placed in the central compartment and the other compartments are filled with platelet- free plasma. When collagen is added to an end compartment, platelets migrate toward that end. The degree of this directed movement or chemotaxis can be measured by counting the radioactivity of the contents of each compartment and then comparing the counts from radiolabeled platelets that have moved to the end that holds the chemotactic inducer with those that have randomly migrated to the opposite end, containing only plasma. This assay system allows quantitative comparisons between the chemotaxis-inducing abilities of different substances and permits the study of soluble materials. Experiments to determine the optimal conditions for the procedure are reported, and the advantages of this new method for the investigation of platelet chemotaxis and the identification of chemotaxins are discussed.