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Identification of intestinal M cells in isolated lymphoid follicles and Peyer’s patches of the Angora rabbit

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Abstract

The presence, distribution, and localization of M cells in isolated lymphoid follicles (ILF) and in follicle-associated epithelia (FAE) covering Peyer’s patches (PP) in Angora rabbits were investigated by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. Although PP could macroscopically be identified along the length of the mucosal and serosal surfaces of jejunum and ileum, the presence of ILF could only be located microscopically. Typical M cells in FAE were detected within the periphery of the dome regions of the PP, and immature columnar M cells in the FAE resided in the vicinity of the crypts. M cells in the FAE of both ILF and PP showed vimentin-positive reaction. M cells in the FAE of ILF were morphologically similar to the immature M cells found in the FAE of PP. Typical mature M cells were also observed in the FAE of a few ILF. In contrast to FAE of PP, numerous goblet cells were observed in the FAE of many ILF. Moreover, among intestinal villi, we noticed villi-like solitary lymphoid structures that showed abundant lymphocytes in their lamina propria and that were surrounded with vimentin-positive cells and goblet cells. Thus, the occurrence of copious immature M cells and goblet cells, in addition to the detection of villi-like solitary lymphoid structures full of lymphocytes in the FAE of many ILF, indicate that ILF do not complete their immunological maturation in contrast to PP. Various antigenic stimulations conceivably induce the formation and maturation of ILF along the length of the small intestine. The morphological resemblance between ILF M cells and PP M cells suggests that these two types of cells perform similar or the same immunological functions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Erciyes, Barış Manço cad. No:1, 38090, Kayseri, Turkey

    Feyzullah Beyaz

  2. Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Kırıkkale, Kırıkkale, Turkey

    Emel Ergün

  3. Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ankara, Dışkapı Campus, Ankara, Turkey

    Alev G. Bayraktaroğlu & Levent Ergün

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  1. Feyzullah Beyaz
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  2. Emel Ergün
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  3. Alev G. Bayraktaroğlu
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  4. Levent Ergün
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Correspondence to Feyzullah Beyaz.

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The chemical materials used in this study were supplied under projects financially supported by the Scientific Research Projects Commission of Erciyes University (EÜBAP VA-03-11) and the Scientific Research Coordination Department of Kırıkkale University (2007-24).

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Beyaz, F., Ergün, E., Bayraktaroğlu, A.G. et al. Identification of intestinal M cells in isolated lymphoid follicles and Peyer’s patches of the Angora rabbit. Cell Tissue Res 341, 417–427 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-010-1005-5

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