Ultrastructural study of Sjögren's syndrome‐like disease in MRM mice

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Salivary glands of autoimmune MRL/1 mice were examined ultrastructurally and by immunoelectron microscopy to further characterize the Sjögren's syndrome‐like disease in these animals. Major salivary glands from 12 female and 7 male MRL/1, two female MRL/n, and one female BALB/c mice were examined by electron microscopy and the glands from 4 female MRL/1 mice were subjected to immunoelectron microscopy in order to detect Lyt‐1 and Lyt‐2 positive lymphoid cells. Mononuclear cell infiltrates were not seen in the salivary gland from the BALE mouse and occurred rarely in glands of MRL/n mice. However, in MRL/1 mice, numerous lymphoid cells were present and acinar cells displayed low cytoplasmic density, cytoplasmic vacuolization and cellular lysis. Lymphoid cells were predominantly Lyt‐1 positive although some Lyt‐2 positive cells were observed. These results suggest that the MRL/1 mouse represents a useful model for the study of the pathogenesis of Sjogren's syndrome in man.