[Change in adaptability and kinetics of T-lymphocyte adaptation to hypotonia in pathological states of mammals].

The kinetics of adaptation of the volume of T-lymphocytes and their membrane potential in a hypotonic medium is investigated. It is shown to have a quasiperiodic character. The shortest adaptation period T = 2 min characterizes the adaptation of T-lymphocytes test animals, the most complete adaptation of the volume and the membrane potential in hypotonic medium. Upon adaptation their values are only 6% higher than respective values in an isotonic medium. If an aseptic inflammatory process develops in a mammalian organism, the adaptation period increases to T = 2.5 min, while the volume and the membrane potential remains 28% higher than in an isotonic medium. In the course of development of induced cancerogenesis, 10 min after the cells have been placed in a hypotonic medium, their size is equal to that at the point of maximal swelling, while the membrane potential is 20% lower than that in an isotonic medium. The reason for the varying adaptability of T-lymphocytes is, in our opinion, that, as the inflammation develops, the concentration of corticosteroids increases, the concentration of intracellular K+ decreases, the concentration of macromolecules increases and the potential of the plasmatic membrane of the cell rises, thus leading to the slowing down of the process of adaptation and its decreased extent. The lack of regulation of the volume by T-lymphocytes of mammals in the organisms of which cancerogenesis develops, testifies to the fact that, in such a case, cells lose their adaptability to changing external conditions. Therefore, the disappearance of adaptability of T-lymphocytes on the third day of development of cancerogenesis represents an early test of the process.