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White pulp compartments in the spleen of rats and mice

A light and electron microscopic study of lymphoid and non-lymphoid celltypes in T- and B-areas

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Summary

The spleen of rats and mice was studied with the light and electron microscope. Special attention was paid to the delineation and composition of the white pulp compartments: periarteriolar lymphatic sheath (PALS), follicles and marginal zone. These three compartments each have their specific lymphoid and non-lymphoid cells.

Reticulum cells and reticulin fibres, although occurring in all three compartments, form a characteristic pattern in each compartment. In the PALS two areas can be distinguished: a central area, largely devoid of reticulum cells, and a peripheral area where reticulum cells are arranged in cylindrical shells. The central PALS forms the thymus dependent area of the spleen, the peripheral PALS contains both T- and B-lymphocytes. T-B-interactions requiring cell contact could take place in the latter area.

Lymph vessels originate from the shells of reticulum cells around the smaller arterioles; these vessels follow the central arteriole to the hilus of the spleen. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the lymph vessels form a recirculation pathway for T-cells and possibly also for B-cells.

In two areas of the splenic white pulp characteristic non-lymphoid cells are present. The central PALS contains interdigitating cells (IDC), which show a close contact with surrounding T-lymphocytes. The light zone of the follicle centre exhibits dendritic cells(DC). B-cells are found between the ramifications of the DC. It is conceivable that these cells play a role in the homing of T-cells and B-cells respectively. In addition they might create a microenvironment supporting differentiation and proliferation of T- and B-cells. The marginal zone does not contain a characteristic non-lymphoid cell type. However, in this compartment B-cells are directly exposed to the circulating blood. It is suggested that this factor constitutes one of the essentials of the microenvironment in the marginal zone.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Histology, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    A. J. P. Veerman

  2. Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    W. van Ewijk

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  1. A. J. P. Veerman
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  2. W. van Ewijk
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The authors are indebted to Prof. Dr. O. Vos and Prof. Dr. H. L. Langevoort for their valuable criticism. Part of the studies was performed at the department for Electron Microscopy of the Faculty of Medicine at the Free University (Head of the department: Dr. Elisabeth C. M.Hoefsmit). — Furthermore the authors are grateful to Mrs. S.W. M. Luycx-Meijer and Mrs. D. Reichelt-Horáčková for their excellent technical assistance and to Miss G. A. M. Redeker for typing the manuscript.

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Veerman, A.J.P., van Ewijk, W. White pulp compartments in the spleen of rats and mice. Cell Tissue Res. 156, 417–441 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00225103

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