title: The significance of intestinal flow in the maturing of B lymphocytes and the chicken antibody response.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of intestinal material on the maturing of B lymphocytes in the bursa of Fabricius and on the antibody response to SRBC. Experiments were carried out on chicks whose burso-cloacal stalk had been ligated at hatching, in order to avoid any contact between the bursal tissues and intestinal material. Chicks subjected to a sham operation, or not operated at all, were used as controls. Results obtained by immunoperoxidase test, using an anti-chicken Ig antiserum, indicate that burso-cloacal stalk ligature leads to an increase in B cells in the bursa of Fabricius 20 days after the operation and a slight decrease after 60 days. The response to SRBC reveals an increase after 20 days, though no variations are found with respect to controls after 60 days. Thus, B lymphocytes mature independently of intestinal stimuli. Furthermore, observations carried out at the age of 20 days indicate that B lymphocytes disappear almost completely from the area of cloacal lymphoid infiltration in chicks with a ligated bursa. It is hypothesised that together with a systemic peripheralisation of B lymphocytes in secondary lymphoid organs and in blood, there exists an intramural local peripheralisation, which is interrupted by ligature of the burso-cloacal stalk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and General Embryology, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dolfi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lupetti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michelucci
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000166:cytology; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology*; D002988:Cloaca / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology