Abstract
Immunoreactive sucrase in villous enterocytes of rat jejunum appears by 21 days of age. We attempted to correlate the ontogeny and type of intraepithelial and lamina propria lymphocytes during the same period. Suckled Sprague-Dawley rat pups (0 · 24 days) were sacrificed at regular intervals. The distal jejunum was removed and 4· to 5·micron frozen sections were cut, fixed in absolute methanol, and stained with mouse monoclonal antibodies BBC 1/35 (sucrase), MRC OX-4 (B-cell), MRC OX-8 (T-suppressor), W3/25 (T-helper), MRC OX-19 (pan T-cell) and W3/13HLK (pan T-cell). The sections were counterstained with goat anti-mouse IgG-FITC conjugated antiserum. The sections were then stained with Evans blue for morphologic definition and evaluated for type, relative numbers and location of lymphocytes. T-suppressor cells were present in the intraepithelial and lamina propria areas up to age 12 days and were absent between 12 and 17 days. From 17 to 24 days, T-suppressor cell levels increased and approached adult levels. B-cells were present at all ages in the lamina propria of villi and crypts. T-helper cells were found irregularly; pan T-cell levels increased from 21 days onward. Our observations confirm and extend those of Lyscom and Brueton (Clin Exp Immunol 54:158-162, 1983) in which the number of T-suppressor intraepithelial cells increased after 21 days of life. We report that this increase coincides with the expression of sucrase by villous enterocytes.
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Nichols, B., Putnam, M. & Shiner, M. 50 CORRELATION BETWEEN THE ONTOGENY OF SMALL INTESTINAL MUCOSAL LYMPHOCYTES AND SUCRASE IN THE PREWEANED RAT. Pediatr Res 24, 413 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198809000-00073
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198809000-00073