The Architecture of Rat Lymph Nodes

Abstract

The lymph nodes (LN) of the congenitally athymic nude rat (rnu) were compared with the LN of non-nude littermates. The mesenteric and coeliac LN were smaller in the rnu rats, but the axillary and the cervical LN were larger. Germinal centres were found in the LN of nude rats. They were scarce and often very small, but some were of normal structure, especially in the cervical LN. The endothelium of post-capillary venules in the LN paracortex was usually flat, but occasionally plump endothelium, typical of post-capillary venules in the LN of normal rats, was seen. The paracortex was extremely depleted of lymphocytes but remained a distinct area occupied predominantly by pale interdigitating cells. In some LN the medullary sinuses were distended and the cords engorged with plasma cells. The predominant cells in thoracic duct lymph were immunoglobulin-positive B lymphocytes. The hourly output of these cells was the same as that in non-nude littermates. However, small numbers of thoracic duct cells were positive for the markers identified by the monoclonal antibodies W3/13 and W3/25, although in normal rats these are not expressed on small B lymphocytes.