Plasmocytes in the Thymus of the Normal Rat

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Abstract
Summary: The thymus of normal rats was found to contain plasmocytes. Plasmocytes are located in the interlobular trabeculas, along the corticomedullary junction of each lobule as well as in the peripheral cortex. The mouse thymus also contains plasmocytes, but considerably fewer than that of the rat. It is not possible to determine the site of origin of these plasmocytes. However, the observations favor the possibility that at least the bulk of them have migrated into the thymus following their formation elsewhere rather than having originated from thymic parenchymal cells. It is concluded that the previous findings, by other authors, of the presence of plasmocytes in thymus of animals having received intrathymic antigen injections or in animals with an autoimmune disease, are not proof of the formation of plasmocytes by thymic parenchymal cells.