Summary
The epithelial reticular cells of the thymic medulla of the golden hamster were studied by electron microscopy. On the basis of their structural details two cell types are distinguished, although the two types are similar in basic structure. The cells of one type are more extended in shape and darker in appearance. They are connected with one another by their cytoplasmic processes, forming a reticulum in the medulla. Thus they appear to play a supporting role as do the cortical epithelial reticular cells. The other cell type is larger, more rounded and lighter. The characteristic feature of this cell type is an abundance of vesicular structures, which occur as vesicles or vacuoles of varying sizes. In addition, an enormous, intracytoplasmic ciliated cyst is occasionally encountered in the latter cell type. The cyst may be regarded as representing a specialized form of the vesicular structures. The possible functional significance of the latter cell type is discussed in relation to recent concepts concerning the mechanism of thymic function.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Burnet, F. M.: The thymus gland. Sci. American 207, 50–57 (1962 a).
—: Role of the thymus and related organs in immunity. Brit. med. J. 1962, 2, 807–811 (1962b)
Clark jr., S. L.: The thymus in mice of strain 129/J, studied with the electron microscope. Amer. J. Anat. 112, 1–34 (1963).
Defendi, V., and D. Metcalf (eds): The thymus. Philadelphia: Wistar Institute Press 1964.
Good, R. A., and A. E. Gabrielsen (eds): The thymus in immunobiology. New York: Harper & Row 1964.
Hoshino, T.: Electron microscopic studies of the epithelial reticular cells of the mouse thymus. Z. Zellforsch. 59, 513–529 (1963).
Ito, T.: Über einschlußhaltige Zellen im Thymus des Goldhamsters. Z. Zellforsch. 49, 739–747 (1959).
Law, L. W., N. Trainin, R. H. Levey, and W. F. Barth: Humoral thymic factor in mice: Further evidence. Science 143, 1049–1051 (1964).
Levey, R. H., N. Trainin, and L. W. Law: Evidence for function of thymic tissue in diffusion chambers implanted in neonatally thymectomized mice. Preliminary report. J. nat. Cancer Inst. 31, 199–217 (1963).
Luft, J. H.: Improvements in Epoxy resin embedding method. J. biochem. biophys. Cytol. 9, 409–414 (1961).
Miller, J. F. A. P., u. P. Dukor: Die Biologie des Thymus nach dem heutigen Stande der Forschung. Basel u. New York: S. Karger 1964.
—, A. H. E. Marshall, and R. G. White: The immunological significance of the thymus. Advanc. Immunol. 2, 111–162 (1962).
Osoba, D. and J. F. A. P. Miller: The lymphoid tissues and immune responses of neonatally thymectomized mice bearing thymus tissue in Millipore diffusion chambers. J. exp. Med. 119, 177–194 (1964).
Reynolds, E. S.: The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron-opaque stain in electron miscroscopy. J. Cell Biol. 17, 208–212 (1963).
Stempak, J. G., and R. T. Ward: An improved staining method for electron microscopy. J. Cell Biol. 22, 697–701 (1964).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dedicated to Professor W. Bargmann, under whose guidance my thymus studies were begun, in honor of his 60th birthday (T. Ito).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ito, T., Hoshino, T. Fine structure of the epithelial reticular cells of the medulla of the thymus in the golden hamster. Z.Zellforsch 69, 311–318 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406283
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406283