[Morphologic manifestations of intercellular interaction in the organs of immunogenesis]

The morphological manifestations of intercellular contacts in guinea-pigs after the subcutaneous injection of 0.1 mg of BCG culture were studied by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The morphological links between T-cells and B-lymphocytes, between B-lymphocytes and macrophages, as well as among individual macrophages were revealed. The intercellular links were shown to have different morphological manifestations depending on the type of cells and their localization in the organ. Thus, in the capillary lumen and the thymus cavity the formation of cytoplasmic bridges between the above-mentioned cells was revealed; in the stroma of the organ the formation of linking structures, similar to closing plates, between lymphocytes was observed. An increase in the number of micropinocytosis bubbles in the contact zone indicated the increased permeability of the cytoplasmic membrane and the intensified exchange processes between the cells.