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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
Microscopic Observation of Lymphocyte Dynamics in Rat Peyer's Patches
Published on: June 25, 2020
Phenotypic and functional characteristics of rat spleen lymphocytes during suckling
Francisco J Pérez-Cano1, Cristina Castellote, Silvia Marín-Gallén
1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Insights
Rat spleen development during suckling shows early B cell dominance and low immune function. T cell populations and functionality mature later, but are not fully developed by weaning.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- The spleen's immune role is critical, but its development during early life is not fully understood.
- Understanding lymphocyte composition and function in neonatal rodents provides insights into immune maturation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the rat spleen's lymphoid tissue composition and functionality during the suckling period.
- To track changes in lymphocyte populations and their immune capabilities from birth to weaning.
Main Methods:
- Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry were used to determine lymphocyte phenotype.
- Functional markers assessed included proliferative ability and antibody secretion.
- Analysis focused on B cells, T cells (TCRalphabeta+CD4+, TCRalphabeta+CD8+, TCRgammadelta+CD8+), and NK/NKT cells (NKR-P1A+).
Main Results:
- Early in the suckling period (first 2 weeks), rat spleen was predominantly B cells (CD45RA+, Igkappa+), with low proportions of T and NK/NKT cells and minimal immune function.
- Later in the suckling period, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell numbers and proportions increased, with immature cells replaced by mature lymphocytes.
- While B and T lymphocytes began developing proliferative capacity, it remained underdeveloped at weaning.
Conclusions:
- Rat spleen lymphoid tissue undergoes significant developmental changes during the suckling period.
- Immune functionality and T cell populations mature progressively, but are not fully established by weaning.
- This study provides a detailed timeline of spleen immune development in neonatal rats.
Abstract:
The aim of this study is to characterize the rat spleen lymphoid tissue during the suckling period by means of lymphocyte composition and their functionality. Lymphocyte phenotype was determined by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. The proliferative ability and the antibody secretion activity were considered as functional markers. During the first 2 weeks of life, rat spleen mainly contained B cells (CD45RA+ or Igkappa+). In this period, T (TCRalphabeta+CD4+, TCRalphabeta+CD8+ and TCRgammadelta+CD8+) and NK/NKT (NKR-P1A+) cell proportions were far less than those of adult rats. Moreover, the spleen immune functionality proved to be very low. In the second half of the suckling period, CD4+ and CD8+ cells in the spleen increased in number and proportion, with immature cells progressively displaced by phenotypic mature lymphocytes containing CD3, TCRalphabeta, CD5 and CD2 molecules on their surface. Additionally, although B and T lymphocyte developed their proliferative ability during this period, it was not fully developed at weaning.
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