Electrophoretic characterization of human monocytes and lymphocytes before and after stimulation with concanavalin A

Human mononuclear cells were split into platelets, monocytes and small lymphocytes by countercurrent centrifugal elutriation (CCE). Determination of the electrophoretic mobilities (EM) of each population revealed that total small lymphocytes, i. e. B, T and null cells, have an equal EM at 1.09 × 10 −4 (cm 2 V −1 s −1 ), whereas monocytes showed a symmetric distribution curve with a peak at 0.95 × 10 −4 (cm 2 V −1 s −1 ). Thus the cathodal shoulder of the EM distribution curve of total mononuclear cells is caused only by monocytes. Mononuclear cells were stimulated by concanavalin A. Growing and resting lymphocytes were isolated at different times by CCE and analysed by cell electrophoresis. In contrast to murine T cells, human Tlymphocytes did not change their EM within 3 days after mitogenic transformation.