Chicken Thymus Research Articles

Antigen binding cells in embryonic chicken bursa and thymus.

THE autoradiographic detection of the binding of 125I-labelled antigen to a proportion of normal lymphocytes is now well established and characterized1–4. Such cells are thought to possess patches of immunoglobulin surface receptors which combine specifically with an appropriate antigen5. Evidence for the specificity of the antigen binding includes the capacity of specific anti-L and anti-µ chain antisera to block the receptor sites6, and the demonstration that at least the more heavily labelled antigen binding lymphocytes in mouse spleen are immunologically competent7.

Hematocrits, Growth, and Mortality in Surgically Bursectomized and Thymectomized Chickens Infected with Eimeria tenella

Hematocrits, Growth, and Mortality in Surgically Bursectomized and Thymectomized Chickens Infected with Eimeria tenella

The effects of irradiation on plasma proteins and leukocytes in thymectomized and control chickens.

SummaryThis experiment was conducted in an attempt to elucidate a postneonatal function for the thymus in chickens. Twenty-six chickens were thymectomized at 2 weeks of age and 26 were sham-operated. At 8 weeks of age all birds were irradiated with 750 R. Plasma protein and leukocyte values were measured in survivors. Three days after irradiation a 40-50% decrease in plasma protein occurred in control and thymectomized birds. This decrease was due to decreased amounts of albumin, and alpha-2, beta-2, and gamma globulin. By day 6 all of the globulins recovered to preirradiation levels, and in most cases there was an overcompensation noticeable by day 10. The albumin values, however, never returned to the magnitude of the starting values. No differences were observed between plasma protein responses of thymectomized and intact birds. Thymectomy caused a depression in the number of circulating small lymphocytes. The numbers of all lymphocyte types were markedly depressed by irradiation but they rebounded by ...

The Growth of Chicken Lymphoid Organs, Testes, and Adrenals in Relation to the Oxidation State and Concentration of Adrenal and Lymphoid Organ Vitamin C

THE bursa of Fabricius, the thymus, and the spleen are among the more rapidly developing organs in the bird. The growth rate of the bursa has been described in detail by Glick (1956), but those of the chicken's thymus and spleen have not been extensively studied. Because some of the necessary background information for lymphoid tissue growth rates in intact cockerels have never been obtained, the growth of the bursa, thymus, and spleen were followed until age involutions began. The changes in testicular, comb, and adrenal weights, in the growing cockerels were also followed since the steroids secreted by these endocrine organs (testosterone and corticosterone) are known to affect lymphoid organ growth (Dougherty, 1952).The concentration of vitamin C in the lymphoid organs and adrenals of the different age cockerels was also determined because of the possible participation of this vitamin in developmental processes (Rinaldi, 1951; Backstrom, 1956, 1957). By .

Diurnal rhythm of mitotic division of chicken thymus lymphocytes

Diurnal rhythm of mitotic division of chicken thymus lymphocytes

Morphological studies on effects of the bursa of fabricius and thymus of chicks hatched from eggs in treatment of testosterone propionate

鶏卵の孵化3~5 日目にテストステロンプロピオネート(TP 160mg.， 320mg.， 480mg. ，640mg. ，1200mg.)を浸漬または卵白内に(注入(TP 0.5mg.， 1.0mg.) し，瞬化後の発育雛のファプリシウス嚢および胸腺の発育影響について研究した. 実験結果は(1)TP浸漬実験区は各単位区とも孵化率が極めて低く， TP注入実験区は対照区と比較して正常であった. (2)ファプリシウス嚢および胸腺の発育影響はTP640mg. および1，200mg の浸漬実験区および注入実験区で著しい退化を認め，特にTP 1.0mg. 注入卵は顕著であった.これは発育初期のステロイド系ホルモン高単位処理によるファプリシウス嚢発育に影響をおよぼしたことを示した.他方同一淋巴様組織である胸腺の影響は認めなかった. (3)TP実験区の発生中止卵には異常発生をなした胚が多く観察され三眼鶏，双嘴，脳胞発育異常，眼胞異常等が形態的に観察され， また孵化雛には眼球異常，肢異常等が認められた.

The thymic "myoidzellen" and myasthenia gravis.

It has been known for a long time that there is an association of some sort between thymic lesions, thymomas in particular, and myasthenia gravis. 1 More recently, cross-reactions have been demonstrated between antimuscle antibodies in the sera of individuals suffering from myasthenia gravis and certain cells of the thymus. 2,3 There is little doubt that the reactive elements in the thymus are not entodermal reticular elements, but actual muscle cells, the "myoidzellen" of the old anatomists. 4 Elongated, occasionally stellate, eosinophilic cells containing cross-striated fibrils have been reported among thymocytes and reticular cells of the thymus in a variety of vertebrates. First described by Mayer 5 in the frog's thymus, they were observed by him as long, spindle-shaped elements showing distinct striations and closely resembling rudimentary skeletal muscle fibers. Pensa 6 found these strange cells to be particularly numerous and well developed in the thymus of chickens and called

The Thymic "Myoidzellen" and Myasthenia Gravis

It has been known for a long time that there is an association of some sort between thymic lesions, thymomas in particular, and myasthenia gravis.¹More recently, cross-reactions have been demonstrated between antimuscle antibodies in the sera of individuals suffering from myasthenia gravis and certain cells of the thymus.^2,3There is little doubt that the reactive elements in the thymus are not entodermal reticular elements, but actual muscle cells, the "myoidzellen" of the old anatomists.⁴ Elongated, occasionally stellate, eosinophilic cells containing cross-striated fibrils have been reported among thymocytes and reticular cells of the thymus in a variety of vertebrates. First described by Mayer⁵in the frog's thymus, they were observed by him as long, spindle-shaped elements showing distinct striations and closely resembling rudimentary skeletal muscle fibers. Pensa⁶found these strange cells to be particularly numerous and well developed in the thymus of chickens and called

The Role of the Bursa of Fabricius and the Thymus in Chickens

The Role of the Bursa of Fabricius and the Thymus in Chickens

Immunologic Reaction as a Means for Determining Purity of Chicken Strains

In experiments designed to establish the immunologic competence of cells of different chicken strains (Klopstock et al., 1962; Schwartz et al., 1962), and to determine the immunologic activity of the bursa and thymus of chicken (Klopstock and Sharon, 1965), we have been using the system developed by both Simonsen (1962) and Burnet (1960) of inoculating white cells from the blood or spleen of adult hens on the chorio-allantoic membrane (CAM) of 9–11 days old chick embryos. After 5 days of incubation, such embryos show pock marks on the CAM and usually also pathological changes in the spleen and liver. These changes have been interpreted as a reaction of the donor cells to the antigenic constituents in the recipient (graft versus host reaction), the donor cells probably regarding the embryo as incompetent. The reaction has been found to depend on the genetic differences between donor and host, these being stronger…

THE IMMUNOLOGICAL ROLE OF DIFFERENT LYMPHOID ORGANS IN THE CHICKEN. II. THE IMMUNOLOGICAL COMPETENCE OF THYMIC CELL SUSPENSIONS.

SummaryInvolution of the chicken thymus is accompanied by an eventual complete loss of thymic cortex, although the medulla persists throughout life. The immunological competence of cell suspensions prepared from thymic glands of birds ranging in age from several days to nine months was determined by their ability to initiate a graft versus host reaction on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of chick embryos. On the basis of a constant inoculum, cell suspensions from adult atrophic thymuses were more competent than from those taken prior to involution. However, in terms of total competent cells per thymic lobe, there was little difference.Whereas cells from young thymuses showed little ability to clear added bacteriophage from the CAM, most adult thymic cell suspensions caused some degree of clearance.Treatment of young birds with cortisone, and adult birds with thyroid hormone, respectively caused a loss and a restoration of the thymic cortex. A marked change in immunological competence of thymic cell suspensions was subsequently observed.The results were interpreted to indicate that thymic cortical lymphocytes were not immunologically competent, but that a competent population of cells was present throughout life in the medulla.

Inoculation of chicken sarcoma virus into chicken thymus. An electron microscopy.

SummaryIntra-thymic inoculation of virus suspension is introduced as a method for electron microscopic study of chicken sarcoma of Chiba strain. In the tumor produced in the thymus, a significantly larger number of virus particles attached to the tumor cell was observed than in those produced at other sites. The virus particles were detected chiefly on the cell surface, in cytoplasmic vacuoles and in peculiar intracellular spaces.

Effects of fowl sarcoma virus on P32 incorporation into nucleic acid in chicken thymus gland.

An investigation was made of P/sup 32/ uptake into DNA and RNA of chicken thymus gland in vitro at different stages of tumorigenesis caused by chicken sarcoma virus (Chiba's strain). Specific activities for the different portions of tumor were compared. The solid portion and the rudimentary thymus gland were on a similar level and the jelly-like portion was lower. From the 3rd to 7th day after virus inoculation, the specific activity of RNA was depressed, and from the 8th day this value increased compared with that of control. Specific activity of DNA changed also accompanied that of RNA. It was concluded that specific activities of RNA and DNA express cell reproduction, and there was no expression of the activity of RNA and DNA fractions occurred from the 3rd to 7th day after virus infection. However the reason for the decrease is not clarified. (auth)