ИСТИНА

Coelomic amoebocytic cells of Asterias rubens L. are part of the cell innate immunity. They are comparable to leukocytes of vertebrates, show phagocytic activity, that is important for maintaining homeostasis in invertebrates. These cells also participate in digestion and excretion, and are capable of agglutination. The shape of amoebocytes is amoeboid, these cells are colorless, mobile and possess lysosomes. We have studied dynamics of amoebocytes concentration in response to injection of antigens, such as ink, bovine serum albumin (BSA), human erythrocytes (HE). Also some abiotic factors (water temperature, air temperature and humidity, water level) that may have effects on the amoebocytic cells concentration in the periviscelar fluid of Asterias rubens L. were explored. The study was performed at the White Sea Biological Station, June 2009. It was found that amoebocytes concentration depends on tide level with maximums at mean sea levels, and on air humidity, but not on seawater or air temperature. We attribute the correlation to possible changes in seawater salinity in the coastal zone due to rain and coastal freshwater drainage, that could affect the function of amoebocytes as host defense cells. Antigen injection causes increase in the amoebocytes concentration, then eventually concentration decreases. Starfish' physiological reaction to antigen injection depends on agent structure, with corpuscular agents (HE, ink) causing more significant changes in the amoebocytes concentration than the soluble ones (BSA). Amoebocytes concentration dynamics in response to injection of HE is the most variable.