Thymic reticulum of mice. III. The connective compartment (innervation, vascularisation, fibrous tissues and myoid cells).
T lymphocytes interact at various levels of differentiation, with cells of the thymic reticulum, forming a peculiar and complex microenvironment. Following earlier descriptions by electron microscopy of three types of epithelial cells and two types of non-epithelial cells (macrophages and interdigitated cells) forming the thymic microenvironment, we report a study on a third compartment, the connective tissue, whose elements occur throughout the organ. The components of the capsule and trabeculae, the vascularisation and the innervation of the thymus and the presence of a few myoid cells are described. This is very rarely studied in ultrastructure. All these cells are completely imbricated and form a network trapping the lymphocytes, playing an essential role in the differentiation, maturation and selection of T cells.
Nabarra
B
B
U345 INSERM, CHU Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France.
Andrianarison
I
I
D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003239:Connective Tissue Cells; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000098:blood supply / Q000294:innervation* / Q000648:ultrastructure*