[Characteristics of the lymphoid cells of rabbits]

Abstract

By means of scanning electron microscopy it has been stated that the thymus gland, spleen, paratracheal lymph node, Peyer's patches and appendix in an intact rabbit of "Shinshilla" strain have T- and B-lymphocytes in different proportion. T-lymphocytes are seen as spherical cells with rough surface, with a few microprocesses, have 3.0 +/- 0.1 mcm--4.7 +/- 0.2 mcm in diameter depending on their location. B-lymphocytes are seen as spherical cells with a considerable amount of microvilli on their surface, have 2.9 +/- 0.1 mcm--4.4 +/- 0.1 mcm in diameter depending also on their location. In the thymus gland, cells with rough surface, a few microprocesses and crater-like hollows prevail. In the spleen and lymph node, most of the cells are of similar diameter and have microvilli on the surface. Lymphoid population in the Peyer's patch and appendix is represented by large cells with microprocesses.