Amplification of plaque-forming cells in the spleen after intracloacal antigen stimulation in neonatal chicken.
Neonatal chickens were primed by multiple or a single injection with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) into the cloacal lumen and then  were challenged by intravenous injection with the same antigen. Direct plaque-forming cells (PFC) in the spleen were markedly increased shortly after intracloacal priming. This enhancing effect was antigen specific and was abolished by surgical bursectomy 24 h after intracloacal priming. A similar effect was also found in mature adult chickens, although the degree of enhancement was far less than that found in neonatal chickens. These results suggest that a certain stage of B-cell differentiation in the bursa of Fabricius (BF) is regulated by antigenic stimulation.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology*; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000276:immunology; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology*; D002988:Cloaca / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D008297:Male; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors
D000941:Antigens; D000939:Epitopes