title: Morphology and ontogeny of dendritic cells in rats at different development periods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the morphology and ontogeny of dendritic cells of Peyer's patches in rats at different development periods.
  
  
  METHODS
  The morphometric and flow cytometric analyses were performed to detect all the parameters of villous-crypts axis and the number of OX62(+)DC, OX62(+)CD4(+)SIRP(+)DC, and OX62(+)CD4(-)SIRP(-)DC in the small intestine in different groups of rats. The relationship between the parameters of villous-axis and the number of DC and DC subtype were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All morphometric parameters changed significantly with the development of pups in the different age groups (F = 10.751, 12.374, 16.527, 5.291, 3.486; P = 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.001, 0.015). Villous height levels were unstable and increased from 115.24 microm to 140.43 microm as early as 3 wk postpartum. Villous area increased significantly between 5 and 7 wk postpartum, peeked up to 13817.60 microm(2) at 7 wk postpartum. Villous height and crypt depth ratios were relatively stable and increased significantly from 2.80 +/- 1.01 to 4.54 +/- 1.56, 9-11 wk postpartum. The expression of OX62(+)DC increased from 33.30% +/- 5.80% to 80% +/- 17.30%, 3-11 wk postpartum (F = 5.536, P = 0.0013). OX62(+)CD4(+)SIRP(+)DC subset levels detected in single-cell suspensions of rat total Peyer's patch dendritic cells (PP-DCs) increased significantly from 30.73% +/- 5.16% to 35.50% +/- 4.08%, 5-7 wk postpartum and from 34.20% +/- 1.35% to 43.60% +/- 2.07% 9-11 wk postpartum (F = 7.216, P = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms the age-related changes in villous-crypt axis differentiation in the small intestine. Simultaneously, there are also development and maturation in rat PP-DCs phenotypic expression. Furthermore, the morphological changes of intestinal mucosa and the development of immune cells (especially DC) peaked at 9-11 wk postpartum, indicating that the intestinal mucosae reached a relatively mature state at 11 wk postpartum.
authors.affiliation: Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Medical College, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200092, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Hua-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jian-Xin
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Tong-Xin
authors.initials: TX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhen-Juan
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D008871:Microvilli / Q000276:immunology; D010581:Peyer's Patches / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley