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THE UPTAKE OF LABELLED PHOSPHATE IN LYMPH NODES DURING EXPERIMENTAL LYMPHADENITIS IN RELATION TO THE MORPHOLOGICAL PICTURE
Author(s) -
Gyllensten L.,
Ringertz N. R.
Publication year - 1956
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0365-5555
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1956.tb00980.x
Subject(s) - lymph node , lymph , lymphatic system , germinal center , chemistry , fixation (population genetics) , pathology , biology , andrology , medicine , biochemistry , immunology , b cell , gene , antibody
SUMMARY The different morphological stages of lymph node response to repeated regional administration of living β‐haemolytic streptococci has been compared with the uptake of labelled phosphorus P 32 in the node during the same stages. The experimental animals (young guinea pigs) were killed on day 1–28 after the first bacterial injection and after they had been given the tracer substance intraperitoneally 4 hours before the killing. The radioactivity was recorded by means of Geiger‐Müller counter on inguinal lymph node tissue after fixation in trichloracetic acid‐formol and dehydration in ethanol (ace. to Odeblad ). The results were expressed as activity per mg fresh tissue from the infected side, in relation to that of inguinal lymph node tissue from the opposite side of the same animal, and was also related to the muscle tissue uptake. The distribution of the uptake within the nodes was studied by autoradiography. Already during the first period, morphologically corresponding to a diffuse lymphoid hyperplasia, higher uptake of about 50 per cent was shown in the nodes at the infected side. During the period 6th to 10th day corresponding to the phase of accelerated new formation of germinal centres, the uptake at the infected side culminated. During the last part of the experimental period when the node morphologically has entered into a stage of balanced activity, the relative uptake showed a certain decrease. The autoradiographic findings confirmed that the uptake in germinal centres is high compared with the inactive pulp. Centres at the end of their life cycle with ceasing lymphoblastic activity in their core presented an annular or crescent‐shaped shadow. Medullary areas with a high content of plasma cells showed a higher uptake than the peripheral pulp. As the uptake recorded with this method is mainly due to nucleoprotein‐bound phosphorus, its relative intensity may be considered to mirror the rate of cellular new formation. It is concluded that, although clear morphologic signs of lymphoblastic activity are lacking during the first response phase with a diffuse lymphoid hyperplasia, an acceleration of lymphocyte new formation sets in already during this stage, and that the further rise of the uptake graph during the phase of centre formation mirrors the culmination of the lymphopoetic activity in the node, evoked by the antigen.