CYTOCHEMICAL IDENTIFICATION OF T-CELLS AND B-CELLS INSITU IN MOUSE LYMPHOID-TISSUE AND LYMPH-NODES FROM RAT, GERBIL AND CAT

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. C129  (5) , 617-+
Abstract
The use of enzymes as markers of T [thymus-derived] or B [bone marrow-derived] cells in tissue sections was studied in mouse lymphoid tissue and lymph nodes from the gerbil, rat and cat. Lymphocytes in the T cell areas of murine lymph nodes and spleen contained discrete dots of non-specific esterase and N-acetyl-.beta.-D-glucosaminidase (.beta.-glucosaminidase) activity, with weak acid phosphatase activity. Lymphocytes in the B cell lacked this discrete staining. Cortical thymocytes contained slight esterase activity while medullary thymocytes were strongly positive for esterase and .beta.-glucosaminidase. Lymphocytes with a T cell staining pattern were only occasionally seen in lymph nodes from nude (nu/nu) mice. ATPase staining was restricted to lymphocytes in the B cell areas; weak 5''-nucleotidase staining was only present in a few lymphocytes in T and B cell areas. Blast cells stimulated by in vivo injection of Con[concanavalin]A or PHA [phytohemagglutinin] in the mouse showed strong discrete enzyme activity for non-specific esterase and .beta.-glucosaminidase. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated blast cells and cells within germinal centers lacked this discrete staining. Comparison of lymph nodes from the gerbil, rat and cat suggested at least 1 enzyme as a T cell marker in each species although considerable variation in staining profiles was seen in the different species.