Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran
Tehran, Iran
Abstract
To better define the immunologic development of various organs a histological study was performed on the spleen and gut associated lymphatic tissues of five adults and twenty juvenile sturgeons. The specimens were fixed in Bouin's fluid, paraffin blocks were sectioned at six microns and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The results showed that from the first week until the sixth week of life the spleen develops rapidly as a pyramidal organ, although without development of distinguishable white pulp. At day 32 we observed aggregations of lymphocytes forming within the white pulp and at day 40 a thin capsule and some delicate trabeculae were observed. Gut associated lymphatic tissues were not yet well developed until day 40. In adult fish, the spleen possessed a well-developed capsule with distinguishable white and red pulp. In red pulp many sinusoids containing large macrophages were present. The gut associated lymphatic tissues were mainly localized in intestines, consisting of large lymphatic follicles and diffuse lymphatic tissues.1-9 This arrangement and also production of many lymphocytes by these organs and tissues would provide a strong defensive barrier against parasites and many other pathogenic organisms in different fish diseases.
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