The immunomodulatory compound 2‐acetyl‐4‐tetrahydroxybutyl imidazole causes sequestration of lymphocytes in non‐lymphoid tissues

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Abstract
2-Acetyl-4(5)-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl) imidazole (THI) is an immunomodulatory compound which causes a reversible lymphopenia in mice by an unknown mechanism. In this study, we investigated the whereabouts of cells lost from the blood and the spleen during THI treatment. Homing studies following i.v. injection of fluorescently labelled splenocytes into THI-pretreated recipients showed that THI increased labelled cells in the liver, lungs and kidneys of THI-treated mice. Furthermore, the sequestration in the liver occurred just 1.5 h after injection of labelled cells with the increase still being present at 24 h after injection. Microscopic examination of liver sections indicated that fluorescent lymphocytes were clustered within the liver sinusoids in THI-treated mice, possibly associated with endothelial cells. The liver retention of lymphocytes was confirmed by immunohistochemical studies which showed a significant increase of T cells in the liver of THI-treated mice. To determine the subset of lymphocytes which are lost from the spleen and sequestered in non-lymphoid organs, lymphocytes remaining in the spleen after THI treatment were characterized. Our results confirmed that THI reduced B cells, CD4+ and CDS+ T cells and cells expressing CD62L, CD44 and IL-2R in the spleen.

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