Purification of carp putative eosinophils on metrizamide gradients

A protocol for the purification of carp eosinophils on metrizamide gradients is presented. Density gradient centrifugation is a new approach to the study of eosinophils in fish. It provides enriched populations of viable eosinophils necessary for in vitro functional assays. Eosinophils purified from the peripheral blood of carp resemble mammalian eosinophils by light and electron microscopy. They are indistinguishable from carp neutrophils which have a different density and morphology.