Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1968 Jan 1;127(1):155–168. doi: 10.1084/jem.127.1.155

MIGRATION OF LYMPHOCYTES AND THYMOCYTES IN THE RAT

I. THE ROUTE OF MIGRATION FROM BLOOD TO SPLEEN AND LYMPH NODES

Irving Goldschneider 1, Douglas D McGregor 1
PMCID: PMC2138428  PMID: 5635037

Abstract

The cellular deficit in rats thymectomized at birth is primarily one of circulating small lymphocytes. The lymphocyte deficiency is similar to that induced in adult rats by chronic drainage from a thoracic duct fistula. In both cases, the animals show a reduction of small lymphocytes in peripheral blood, thoracic duct lymph, and in circumscribed areas of lymphoid tissue. The lympocyte deficiency in lymphoid tissue can be corrected by an intravenous injection of thoracic duct lymphocytes. The evidence suggests that the deficiency is corrected by small lymphocytes. Small lymphocytes pass from blood to lymphoid tissue along a route which includes the marginal sinus in splenic white pulp and postcapillary venules in the cortex of lymph nodes and Peyer's patches. Neither the ability of small lymphocytes to colonize lymphoid tissue nor their ability to traverse postcapillary venules are thymus-dependent phenomena. However, movement of small lymphocytes across postcapillary venules appears to modify the structure of endothelium. Intravenously injected small thymocytes migrate to lymphoid tissue in smaller numbers than small lymphocytes inoculated by the same route. The few thymocytes which localize in lymphoid tissue follow the same pathway as circulating small lymphocytes.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (2.1 MB).

Selected References

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

  1. ARNASON B. G., JANKOVIC B. D., WAKSMAN B. H., WENNERSTEN C. Role of the thymus in immune reactions in rats. II. Suppressive effect of thymectomy at birth on reactions of delayed (cellular) hypersensitivity and the circulating small lymphocyte. J Exp Med. 1962 Aug 1;116:177–186. doi: 10.1084/jem.116.2.177. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Adler F. L., Fishman M., Dray S. Antibody formation initiated in vitro. 3. Antibody formation and allotypic specificity directed by ribonucleic acid from peritoneal exudate cells. J Immunol. 1966 Oct;97(4):554–558. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BURWELL R. G. Studies of the primary and the secondary immune responses of lymph nodes draining homografts of fresh cancellous bone (with particular reference to mechanisms of lymph node reactivity). Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1962 Oct 24;99:821–860. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1962.tb45365.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. COOPER M. D., PETERSON R. D., GOOD R. A. DELINEATION OF THE THYMIC AND BURSAL LYMPHOID SYSTEMS IN THE CHICKEN. Nature. 1965 Jan 9;205:143–146. doi: 10.1038/205143a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cooper M. D., Raymond D. A., Peterson R. D., South M. A., Good R. A. The functions of the thymus system and the bursa system in the chicken. J Exp Med. 1966 Jan 1;123(1):75–102. doi: 10.1084/jem.123.1.75. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. DALMASSO A. P., MARTINEZ C., SJODIN K., GOOD R. A. STUDIES ON THE ROLE OF THE THYMUS IN IMMUNOBIOLOGY; RECONSTITUTION OF IMMUNOLOGIC CAPACITY IN MICE THYMECTOMIZED AT BIRTH. J Exp Med. 1963 Dec 1;118:1089–1109. doi: 10.1084/jem.118.6.1089. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FISHMAN M. Antibody formation in vitro. J Exp Med. 1961 Dec 1;114:837–856. doi: 10.1084/jem.114.6.837. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. FLIEDNER T., KESSE M., CRONKITE E. P., ROBERTSON J. S. CELL PROLIFERATION IN GERMINAL CENTERS OF THE RAT SPLEEN. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1964 Feb 28;113:578–594. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1964.tb40692.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ford W. L., Gowans J. L. The role of lymphocytes in antibody formation. II. The influence of lymphocyte migration on the initiation of antibody formation in the isolated, perfused spleen. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1967 Sep 12;168(1012):244–262. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1967.0064. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. HARRIS J. E., FORD C. E., BARNES D. W., EVANS E. P. EVIDENCE FROM PARABIOSIS FOR AN AFFERENT STREAM OF CELLS. Nature. 1964 Feb 29;201:886–887. doi: 10.1038/201886a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. HAYHOE F. G., QUAGLINO D. AUTORADIOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATIONS OF RNA AND DNA METABOLISM OF HUMAN LEUCOCYTES CULTURED WITH PHYTOHAEMAGGLUTININ; URIDINE-5-3H AS A SPECIFIC PRECURSOR OF RNA. Nature. 1965 Jan 9;205:151–154. doi: 10.1038/205151a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. JANKOVIC B. D., WAKSMAN B. H., ARNASON B. G. Role of the thymus in immune ractions in rats. I. The immunologic response to bovine serum albumin (antibody formation, Arthus reactivity, and delayed hypersensitivity) in rats thymectomized or splenectomized at various times after birth. J Exp Med. 1962 Aug 1;116:159–176. doi: 10.1084/jem.116.2.159. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. KELLUM M. J., SUTHERLAND D. E., ECKERT E., PETERSON R. D., GOOD R. A. WASTING DISEASE, COOMBS-POSITIVITY, AND AMYLOIDOSIS IN RABBITS SUBJECTED TO CENTRAL LYMPHOID TISSUE EXTIRPATION AND IRRADIATION. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1965;27:6–26. doi: 10.1159/000229594. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. METCALF D. The effect of thymectomy on the lymphoid tissues of the mouse. Br J Haematol. 1960 Jul;6:324–333. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1960.tb06248.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. MILLER J. F. THE THYMUS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMMUNOLOGIC RESPONSIVENESS. Science. 1964 Jun 26;144(3626):1544–1551. doi: 10.1126/science.144.3626.1544. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. MOORE R. D., MUMAW V. R., SCHOENBERG M. D. THE STRUCTURE OF THE SPLEEN AND ITS FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS. Exp Mol Pathol. 1964 Feb;33:31–50. doi: 10.1016/0014-4800(64)90016-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. MORGAN J. F., MORTON H. J., PARKER R. C. Nutrition of animal cells in tissue culture; initial studies on a synthetic medium. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1950 Jan;73(1):1–8. doi: 10.3181/00379727-73-17557. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. MURRAY R. G., WOODS P. A. STUDIES ON THE FATE OF LYMPHOCYTES. 3. THE MIGRATION AND METAMORPHOSIS OF IN SITU LABELED THYMIC LYMPHOCYTES. Anat Rec. 1964 Oct;150:113–128. doi: 10.1002/ar.1091500203. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. McGregor D. D., Gowans J. L. THE ANTIBODY RESPONSE OF RATS DEPLETED OF LYMPHOCYTES BY CHRONIC DRAINAGE FROM THE THORACIC DUCT. J Exp Med. 1963 Jan 31;117(2):303–320. doi: 10.1084/jem.117.2.303. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. McGregor D. D. Studies by thoracic duct drainage of the functions and potentialities of the lymphocyte. Fed Proc. 1966 Nov-Dec;25(6):1713–1719. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Metcalf D. Delayed effect of thymectomy in adult life on immunological competence. Nature. 1965 Dec 25;208(5017):1336–1336. doi: 10.1038/2081336a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Miller J. F., Mitchell G. F., Weiss N. S. Cellular basis of the immunological defects in thymectomized mice. Nature. 1967 Jun 3;214(5092):992–997. doi: 10.1038/214992a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. NOSSAL G. J. STUDIES ON THE RATE OF SEEDING OF LYMPHOCYTES FROM THE INTACT GUINEA PIG THYMUS. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1964 Nov 30;120:171–181. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1964.tb34715.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Nossal G. J., Austin C. M., Pye J., Mitchell J. Antigens in immunity. XII. Antigen trapping in the spleen. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1966;29(4):368–383. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. PETERSON R. D., COOPER M. D., GOOD R. A. THE PATHOGENESIS OF IMMUNOLOGIC DEFICIENCY DISEASES. Am J Med. 1965 Apr;38:579–604. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(65)90135-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Parrott D. V., De Sousa M. A., East J. Thymus-dependent areas in the lymphoid organs of neonatally thymectomized mice. J Exp Med. 1966 Jan 1;123(1):191–204. doi: 10.1084/jem.123.1.191. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. SNOOK T. STUDIES ON THE PERIFOLLICULAR REGION OF THE RAT'S SPLEEN. Anat Rec. 1964 Feb;148:149–159. doi: 10.1002/ar.1091480205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Taylor R. B. Decay of immunological responsiveness after thymectomy in adult life. Nature. 1965 Dec 25;208(5017):1334–1335. doi: 10.1038/2081334a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. WAKSMAN B. H., ARNASON B. G., JANKOVIC B. D. Role of the thymus in immune reactions in rats. III. Changes in the lymphoid organs of thymectomized rats. J Exp Med. 1962 Aug 1;116:187–206. doi: 10.1084/jem.116.2.187. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES