Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Anatomy logoLink to Journal of Anatomy
. 1995 Aug;187(Pt 1):93–105.

Intercellular and lymphatic pathways of the canine palatine tonsils.

G T Belz 1, T J Heath 1
PMCID: PMC1167352  PMID: 7591989

Abstract

The palatine tonsils play a key role in initiating immune responses against antigenic material entering the mouth and their lymphatic pathways are important in disseminating immunological information to the lymph nodes and other mucosal surfaces. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy and Mercox casts were used to examine the intercellular and lymphatic pathways of the palatine tonsil in dogs. Intercellular fluid within the intraepithelial passageways of the reticular epithelium flows through pores in the basement membrane and intermingles with that of the subepithelial intercellular spaces. From there, tissue fluid enters initial lymphatics which form a plexus surrounding each follicle. No lymphatic vessels are seen entering or leaving the follicles but intercellular pathways of the follicles are continuous with those of the adjacent initial lymphatics. These pathways appear to provide the only route for lymphocytes leaving the follicles and directly entering the lymphatic pathway. Lymph then flows into sinuses adjacent to, and incompletely surrounding, the base of follicles; or it may enter a network of sinuses between and beneath the lymphoid follicles which convey lymph throughout the parafollicular tissue. Lymphoid cells enter the parafollicular sinuses which may be a major entry site of lymphocytes emigrating from the lymphoid parenchyma. Some lymph may bypass these sinuses by entering septal lymphatic vessels oriented perpendicular to the central connective tissue lamina of the palatine tonsil. All lymph is collected into basal lymphatic vessels where valves prevent retrograde flow. Basal vessels course within the central lamina and converge to form efferent lymphatic vessels which emerge at the caudal region of the palatine tonsil and convey lymph to the medial retropharyngeal lymph node.

Full text

PDF
93

Images in this article

95Fig. 1
on p.95
96Fig. 2
on p.96
97Fig. 3
on p.97
97Fig. 4
on p.97
98Fig. 5
on p.98
98Fig. 6
on p.98
99Fig. 7
on p.99
99Fig. 8
on p.99
99Fig. 9
on p.99
99Fig. 10
on p.99
100Fig. 11
on p.100
100Fig. 12
on p.100
100Fig. 13
on p.100
100Fig. 14
on p.100
101Fig. 15
on p.101
101Fig. 16
on p.101
101Fig. 17
on p.101
101Fig. 18
on p.101
102Fig. 19
on p.102

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abe K., Ito T. Qualitative and quantitative morphologic study of Peyer's patches of the mouse after neonatal thymectomy and hydrocortisone injection. Am J Anat. 1978 Feb;151(2):227–237. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001510206. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Anderson J. C. The response of the tonsil and associated lymph nodes of gnotobiotic piglets to the presence of bacterial antigen in the oral cavity. J Anat. 1974 Feb;117(Pt 1):191–198. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bienenstock J., Befus D. Gut- and bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue. Am J Anat. 1984 Jul;170(3):437–445. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001700316. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brandtzaeg P. Immunobarriers of the mucosa of the upper respiratory and digestive pathways. Acta Otolaryngol. 1988 Jan-Feb;105(1-2):172–180. doi: 10.3109/00016488809119462. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Brandtzaeg P., Surjan L., Jr, Berdal P. Immunoglobulin systems of human tonsils. I. Control subjects of various ages: quantification of Ig-producing cells, tonsillar morphometry and serum Ig concentrations. Clin Exp Immunol. 1978 Mar;31(3):367–381. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. CASLEY-SMITH J. R., FLOREY H. W. The structure of normal small lymphatics. Q J Exp Physiol Cogn Med Sci. 1961 Jan;46:101–106. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.1961.sp001502. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Casley-Smith J. R. The role of the endothelial intercellular junctions in the functioning of the initial lymphatics. Angiologica. 1972;9(2):106–131. doi: 10.1159/000157923. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Chen W., Alley M. R., Manktelow B. W., Slack P. Perinatal development of lymphoid tissue and its associated epithelium in the ovine pharyngeal tonsil: a morphological study. N Z Vet J. 1990 Sep;38(3):106–111. doi: 10.1080/00480169.1990.35629. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Curran R. C., Jones E. L. The lymphoid follicles of the human palatine tonsil. Clin Exp Immunol. 1978 Feb;31(2):251–259. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. FAZEKAS I. G. Wirkung des Leberextraktes von Kaninchen mit hypertrophischen Nebennieren auf die Lebensdauer von adrenalektomierten Mäusen. Endokrinologie. 1954;31(6):365–367. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Falk P., Mootz W. Morphologische Untersuchungen zur Retikulierung des Tonsillenepithels. Acta Otolaryngol. 1973 Feb-Mar;75(2):85–103. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Higashikawa T., Ohtani O., Masuda Y. Ultrastructures of the epithelial basement membrane and the subepithelial capillaries in rabbit palatine tonsils. Arch Histol Cytol. 1990 Mar;53(1):31–39. doi: 10.1679/aohc.53.31. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Howie A. J. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy on the epithelium of human palatine tonsils. J Pathol. 1980 Feb;130(2):91–98. doi: 10.1002/path.1711300205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Komuro T. Fenestrations of the basal lamina of intestinal villi of the rat. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Cell Tissue Res. 1985;239(1):183–188. doi: 10.1007/BF00214918. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Leak L. V., Burke J. F. Fine structure of the lymphatic capillary and the adjoining connective tissue area. Am J Anat. 1966 May;118(3):785–809. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001180308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Low F. N., McClugage S. G. Microdissection by ultrasonication: scanning electron microscopy of the epithelial basal lamina of the alimentary canal in the rat. Am J Anat. 1984 Feb;169(2):137–147. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001690203. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lowden S., Heath T. Ileal Peyer's patches in pigs: intercellular and lymphatic pathways. Anat Rec. 1994 Jul;239(3):297–305. doi: 10.1002/ar.1092390308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. McClugage S. G., Low F. N. Microdissection by ultrasonication: porosity of the intestinal epithelial basal lamina. Am J Anat. 1984 Oct;171(2):207–216. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001710206. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. McClugage S. G., Low F. N., Zimny M. L. Porosity of the basement membrane overlying Peyer's patches in rats and monkeys. Gastroenterology. 1986 Nov;91(5):1128–1133. doi: 10.1016/s0016-5085(86)80007-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Narita M., Kawamura H., Tsuboi T., Haritani M., Kobayashi M. Immunopathological and ultrastructural studies on the tonsil of gnotobiotic pigs infected with strain 67N of haemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus. J Comp Pathol. 1989 Apr;100(3):305–312. doi: 10.1016/0021-9975(89)90108-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Norberg B., Rydgren L., Söderström R. N. Lymphocyte locomotion. Morphological criteria of the direction of lymphocyte movement. Lymphology. 1973 Dec;6(4):187–191. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Oláh I., Everett N. B. Surface epithelium of the rabbit palatine tonsil: scanning and transmission electron microscopic study. J Reticuloendothel Soc. 1975 Jul;18(1):53–62. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Oláh I., Surján L., Jr, Törö I. Electronmicroscopic observations on the antigen receptors in the tonsillar tissue. Acta Biol Acad Sci Hung. 1972;23(1):61–73. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Pabst R., Nowara E. The emigration of lymphocytes from palatine tonsils after local labelling. Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 1984;240(1):7–13. doi: 10.1007/BF00464338. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Schmelz M., Franke W. W. Complexus adhaerentes, a new group of desmoplakin-containing junctions in endothelial cells: the syndesmos connecting retothelial cells of lymph nodes. Eur J Cell Biol. 1993 Aug;61(2):274–289. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Smith M. W., Peacock M. A. "M" cell distribution in follicle-associated epithelium of mouse Peyer's patch. Am J Anat. 1980 Oct;159(2):167–175. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001590205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Surján L., Jr Tonsils and lympho-epithelial structures in the pharynx as immuno-barriers. Acta Otolaryngol. 1987 May-Jun;103(5-6):369–372. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Watanabe H., Takumida M., Harada Y. Three-dimensional ultrastructure of the secondary nodule of the human palatine tonsil. Adv Otorhinolaryngol. 1992;47:5–10. doi: 10.1159/000421709. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Wenzel-Hora B. I., Berens von Rautenfeld D., Majewski A., Lubach D., Partsch H. Scanning electron microscopy of the initial lymphatics of the skin after use of the indirect application technique with glutaraldehyde and MERCOX as compared to clinical findings. Lymphology. 1987 Sep;20(3):126–144. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Wenzel-Hora B. I., Berens von Rautenfeld D., Majewski A., Lubach D., Partsch H. Scanning electron microscopy of the initial lymphatics of the skin after use of the indirect application technique with glutaraldehyde and MERCOX as compared to clinical findings. Lymphology. 1987 Sep;20(3):126–144. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Williams D. M., Rowland A. C. The palatine tonsils of the pig--an afferent route to the lymphoid tissue. J Anat. 1972 Oct;113(Pt 1):131–137. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Yamanaka N., Sambe S., Harabuchi Y., Kataura A. Immunohistological study of tonsil. Distribution of T cell subsets. Acta Otolaryngol. 1983 Nov-Dec;96(5-6):509–516. doi: 10.3109/00016488309132738. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. van Ewijk W., Brons N. H., Rozing J. Scanning electron microscopy of homing and recirculating lymphocyte populations. Cell Immunol. 1975 Oct;19(2):245–261. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(75)90207-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Anatomy are provided here courtesy of Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland

RESOURCES