Korean J Phys Anthropol.  1999 Dec;12(2):277-288.

Age-related Changes of Mac1-positive Cell Distribution in the Thymus, Spleen and Popliteal Lymph Node in C57BL/6 Mice

• Lee CW
• Lee WK
• Huh YB
• Ahn HK

Abstract

The following experiment was performed to clarify distributional change of the Mac1-positive cells at 1, 4, 8 ,12 and 40 weeks after birth. Thymuses, spleens and lymph nodes were removed and immunocytochemical staining using the specific Mac1 antibody was performed The results obtained from the present experiment were as follows : 1. Mac1-positive cell was absent at 1 week, they were increased by 4 weeks and decreased at 40 weeks in the thymus after birth. 2. There was no Mac1-positive cell in the marginal zone of the spleen at 4, 40 weeks, but they were shown at 8 weeks. 3. Mac1-positive cells were increased at 4 weeks in the subfollicular area of lymph nodes. There was no change of distribution in the lymph nodes. From the above results, we suggest that the age-related decrease of the immunity might be caused by decrease of Mac1-positive cells in the antigen-presenting area.

Keyword

Age; Mac1; thymus; spleen; lymph

MeSH Terms

Animals
Lymph Nodes*
Mice*
Parturition
Spleen*
Thymus Gland*