Regional variations in the distributions of small intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) in BALB/c +/+, nu/+, and nu/nu mice

Comp Med. 2001 Apr;51(2):127-33.

Abstract

Regional variations in intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) in the small intestine were examined in BALB/c +/+, nu/+, and nu/nu mice. The small intestine was obtained from 11- to 12-week-old mice and divided equally into three (proximal, middle, and distal) parts. The IELs were isolated from each part of the intestine, and the total numbers of IELs in nu/+ and nu/nu mice were about a fifth of those in +/+ mice. Regional variations in the distribution of the IEL alphabeta, but not the gammadelta T-cell subset were found by use of flow cytometry in +/+ and nu/+ mice. On the other hand, such differences were not found in nu/nu mice, suggesting that thymus-independent development of T cells is not different among regions. Different local expansion of thymus-dependent alphabeta T cells may cause the regional variations seen in the distribution of alphabeta T cell IELs in +/+ and nu/+ mice.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow / pathology
  • Cell Lineage
  • Genotype
  • Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / genetics
  • Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / pathology
  • Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / veterinary*
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Intestine, Small / cytology*
  • Lymphocyte Count*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C / anatomy & histology*
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C / genetics
  • Mice, Nude / anatomy & histology*
  • Mice, Nude / genetics
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / analysis
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / analysis
  • Rodent Diseases / genetics
  • Rodent Diseases / immunology
  • Rodent Diseases / pathology*
  • Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets*
  • Thymus Gland / abnormalities
  • Thymus Gland / pathology

Substances

  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta