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Updated: Aug 10, 2026
Generation of Bone Marrow Derived Murine Dendritic Cells for Use in 2-photon Imaging
Published on: July 9, 2008
Functional canine dendritic cells can be generated in vitro from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and contain a
1Immuno-Endocrinology Unit, ENVN/INRA/University, ENVN, Atlanpole, la Chantrerie, BP 40706, F-44307 Nantes Cedex 03, France.
For physiological and practical reasons the dog is a large animal model used increasingly to study the pathogenesis of human diseases and new therapeutic approaches, in particular for immune disorders. However, some immunological resources are lacking in this model, especially concerning dendritic cells. The aim of our study was to develop an efficient method to generate dendritic cells (DC) in vitro from dog peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and to characterize their functional, structural and ultrastructural properties. PBMC were cultured in vitro with IL-4 and GM-CSF. After 1 week of culture, a great proportion of non-adherent cells displayed typical cytoplasmic processes, as evidenced both by optical and electron microscopy. Cytometric analysis revealed the presence of 41.7+/-24.6% CD14+ cells expressing both CD11c and MHC class II molecules. Allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions confirmed the ability of these cultures to stimulate the proliferation of allogeneic lymphocytes as already reported as a characteristic of DC in other species. In addition, we describe for the first time the presence in canine DC of cytoplasmic periodic microstructures (PMS) that could represent ultrastructural markers of canine DC. In conclusion, our study provides an easy method to generate DC from PBMC in sufficient numbers for immunological in vitro investigations in dogs, a pre-clinical model for many human diseases.
For physiological and practical reasons the dog is a large animal model used increasingly to study the pathogenesis of human diseases and new therapeutic approaches, in particular for immune disorders. However, some immunological resources are lacking in this model, especially concerning dendritic cells. The aim of our study was to develop an efficient method to generate dendritic cells (DC) in vitro from dog peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and to characterize their functional, structural and ultrastructural properties. PBMC were cultured in vitro with IL-4 and GM-CSF. After 1 week of culture, a great proportion of non-adherent cells displayed typical cytoplasmic processes, as evidenced both by optical and electron microscopy. Cytometric analysis revealed the presence of 41.7+/-24.6% CD14+ cells expressing both CD11c and MHC class II molecules. Allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions confirmed the ability of these cultures to stimulate the proliferation of allogeneic lymphocytes as already reported as a characteristic of DC in other species. In addition, we describe for the first time the presence in canine DC of cytoplasmic periodic microstructures (PMS) that could represent ultrastructural markers of canine DC. In conclusion, our study provides an easy method to generate DC from PBMC in sufficient numbers for immunological in vitro investigations in dogs, a pre-clinical model for many human diseases.
