Ultrastructure of the bone marrow in three murine strains with non-malignant lymphoproliferative syndromes NZBxW, BXSB, and MRL/lpr.
Three mouse strains, NZBxW, BXSB, and MRL/lpr have well documented congenital lymphoproliferative syndromes and lupus-like disease. We studied the ultrastructures of the marrows of these mice searching for a model for intramedullary lymphopoiesis. In MRL/lpr, the strain with the most severe disease, the marrow was largely populated by large lymphocytes associated with dark branching stromal cells. These stromal cells are apparently of a recently recognized cell type which has been associated with extremely accelerated eosinophilopoiesis and erythropoiesis. They did not appear in the lymph nodes and spleens of the MRL/lpr mice or in the marrows of the other strains. BXSB marrows showed some non-proliferant lymphocytic infiltrates and heightened erythropoiesis while NZBxW marrows resembled controls. We suggest that the dark stromal cells in the MRL/lpr marrows were important in supporting the production or differentiation of lymphoid precursor cells.
D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000033:anatomy & histology*