Lymphocyte circulation in the spleen. Marginal zone bridging channels and their possible role in cell traffic.

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  • 1 January 1973
    • journal article
    • Vol. 24  (1) , 93-107
Abstract
Histological evidence is presented for distinct, anatomically determined pathways in the spleen for cells in transit between the white pulp and the red pulp prior to entering the draining veins. In rats and mice these appear as narrow channels of lymphocytes which run between both the periarteriolar lymphatic sheath and the red pulp sinuses, and the peripheral white pulp and the red pulp sinuses, crossing the marginal zone in association with fine argentophilic fibres. These marginal zone bridging channels were found to contain labelled T or B cells 4 and 8 hours after injection which suggested that transit was occurring in the direction from white pulp to red pulp rather than the reverse.