Bursa of Fabricus: uptake of radioactive particles and radiotoxic "sealing" of bursal follicles.
Making use of the fact that the avian bursa is uniquely equiped for uptake, degradation and storage of particulate matter from the cloacal lumen, we administered 239Pu(IV) perorally or via the cloaca to cause radiotoxic damage to the bursal tissue.  This resulted in a involution of the follicles, reduction of the lymphocyte mass, predominance of smaller lymphoid cells in the medulla as compared to controls, disappearance of tuft epithelia, formation of a sub-epithelial fibrous layer in many follicles and impairment or an almost complete loss of the capacity of the bursa to take up particulate matter. Concomitant with these changes was a reduction in the concentration of serum IgG. These findings are discussed in relation to the immunologic contact role of the bursa.
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000528:radiation effects; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002645:Chickens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008264:Macrophages / Q000528:radiation effects; D011005:Plutonium; D011830:Radiation Effects
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011005:Plutonium