Ultrastructural alterations of the cortical epithelial cells of the irradiated and recovering rat thymus.

To understand the roles of cortical thymic epithelial cells (CTECs) in T-lymphocyte development, we analyzed rat thymi recovering from irradiation (6Gy), at the ultrastructural level. The morphological alterations in the CTECs were most prominent during the third to fifth day of recovery, when proliferating thymocytes were observed in the vicinity of the CTECs. The most striking finding among the alterations in the CTECs after irradiation was a cytoplasmic vacuolization with an increased amount of granular and membranous content. The granular content was observed as loosely aggregated structures or finely dispersed granules and dense bodies. The membranous content appeared in various forms including vesicular, tubular, and irregular membranous structures and myelin figures. The above features are characteristic of the hyperfunctional state of CTECs with increased secretion activities, which suggests their important roles in the repopulation and maturation of the cortical thymocytes during recovery after irradiation.

Semiquantitative detection of cytokine messages in X-irradiated and regenerating rat thymus.

We investigated the expression of cytokine mRNA derived from thymocytes or thymic epithelial cells in X-irradiated (8 Gy) and recovering rat thymuses, according to our previous observation (Mizutani et al., Radiat. Res. 157, 281-289, 2002). The changes in mRNA expression level of interleukin 2 (Il2), Il4, tumor necrosis factor alpha (Tnf), interferon gamma (Ifng), and transforming growth factor beta (Tgfb) were examined. The mRNA expression of Il2 and Il4 decreased from day 5 to day 14 after irradiation. Thereafter, the expression level of Il2 mRNA recovered to normal control levels; however, the expression of Il4 mRNA tended toward significantly low levels. Tnf mRNA expression decreased on day 5 after irradiation and then showed a gradual increase back to normal control levels. Tgfb mRNA expression did not change significantly. Ifng mRNA expression was transiently enhanced from day 11 to day 14. The mRNA expression levels of Il10 increased significantly from day 3 to day 7 after irradiation. In addition, the mRNA expression of thymic epithelial cell-derived Il7 showed a transient decrease on day 3; however, then it showed a continuous increase from day 5 to day 21, finally reaching twice the normal control levels after X irradiation. These observations suggest that the expression of cytokine messages in the irradiated thymus changed significantly and did not return to normal for a long time after 8 Gy irradiation.

Expression of PAC1 receptor in rat thymus after irradiation.

In the present work, PAC1-R (G-protein-coupled receptor specific for PACAP) was detected on cells in the normal thymus. Immunohistochemically PAC1-R was expressed strongly in stromal cells of the thymic medulla. Positive cells were also observed in the thymus of fetal and old adult rats. After 8 Gy irradiation to 9-week-old rats, PAC1-R expressions in the thymus decreased and almost recovered by day 21. The expression of PAC1-R mRNA was weak in the thymus and decreased further after irradiation. The expression almost recovered by day 28. Hip and hip/hop variants, which were not expressed in the normal thymus, were expressed in the thymus on days 3, 5 and 21 after irradiation. The expressions of IL-6 and IL-10 tended to increase initially after irradiation then decreased. Histologically, the thymic structures were destroyed on day 3 after irradiation and the thymus almost recovered by day 21. Thus PACAP is thought to be one of the important factors for cross-talk between cells involved in thymic regeneration.

Morphological and immunohistochemical changes to thymic epithelial cells in the irradiated and recovering rat thymus.

The present study analyzed morphological and immunohistochemical changes of thymic epithelial cells in the irradiated and recovering rat thymus. Observations showed the number of thymocytes was initially severely reduced after irradiation but abruptly increased on days 3 to 5 after 6 Gy and on days 7 to 11 after 8 Gy irradiation. To analyse the mechanisms for this abrupt recovery of the thymocytes after irradiation, the expression of p63 in the normal and irradiated thymus was immunohistochemically studied as the expression of this antigen may be related to the proliferation of epithelial cells. In the fetal thymus tissue, thymic epithelial cells were the principal cell type that stained strongly positive for p63. The sporadic expression of p63 was also observed in the normal adult thymus tissue, especially in the subcapsular region. An increased number of p63- positive cells in the thymus after irradiation indicates that repair or renewal of the thymic epithelial cells may be taking place because p63 is more specific to transient amplifying thymic epithelial cells. A RT-PCR analysis of p63 expression in irradiated and regenerating thymus tissue also showed an increased expression of p63 after irradiation compared with that of the normal thymus. These results suggest that changes in the thymic microenvironment-especially in relation to the repair and renewal of thymic epithelial cells- may have an important influence on thymocyte proliferation in the normal thymus as well as in the irradiated and recovering thymus.

Identification and characterization of major histocompatibility complex class II compartments in cortical thymic epithelial cells.

Previous studies have concentrated on elucidating the subcellular localization of major histocompatibility (MHC) class II molecules mainly in B cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. Despite very rich cell-surface expression of MHC class II molecules by cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs), little is known regarding the expression of these molecules by cTECs at the subcellular level. In the present study we focused on the identification and characterization of MHC class II compartments (MIICs) in cTECs in situ by immunogold electron microscopy (IEM). We found that MHC class II molecules were located exclusively in the cytoplasmic vacuoles, and we identified these MHC class II molecule-containing cytoplasmic vacuoles as MIICs in cTECs. These MIICs were immunopositive for early endosomal, late endosomal, and lysosomal markers. Moreover, in these MIICs, MHC class II molecules were colocalized with cathepsin L, H2-DM, class II-associated invariant chain (Ii), and class II-associated invariant chain peptide (CLIP). Similarly, Ii molecules were colocalized with endosomal and lysosomal markers, cathepsin L, and H2-DM in the vacuoles. Taken together, these results suggest that MIICs in cTECs represent conventional endocytic compartments. The colocalization of MHC class II molecule or Ii with cathepsin L and H2-DM in the MIICs suggests that MIICs in cTECs may be sites of Ii degradation and peptide loading.

Differential expression of MHC class II antigens and cathepsin L by subtypes of cortical epithelial cells in the rat thymus: an immunoelectron microscopic study.

To better comprehend the thymic microenvironment, it is necessary to identify the antigenic profile of cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs) that are involved in the development of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted T cells. Ultrastructurally, cTECs can be classified into four morphologically distinct subtypes: subcapsular/perivascular (EC1), pale (EC2), intermediate (EC3) and dark (EC4) cells. Several immunohistochemical studies were done on cTECs at the light and electron microscopic levels, but not with reference to the above subtypes. In the present paper, we analysed the expression of MHC class II antigen and cathepsin L by individual cTEC subtypes at the electron microscopic level. We show that (1) MHC class II antigens are expressed on the cell surfaces except on the basal surface of EC1, both on the cell surface and in intracytoplasmic vacuoles of EC2, and only in the intracytoplasmic vacuoles of EC3 and EC4, and (2) that cathepsin L is expressed strongly and uniformly throughout the cytoplasm of EC2, but weakly and non-uniformly in the cytoplasm of EC1, EC3 and EC4. These results show that MHC class II antigen expression and cathepsin L expression is heterogeneous in cTEC subtypes and suggest that EC2 might play a significant role in the development of CD4+ T cells.

Spatial relation between major histocompatibility complex-restricted antigen receptor-bearing thymocytes and subtypes of thymic epithelial cells.

R73, a monoclonal antibody that recognizes a rat T cell surface antigen of TCR(alphabeta), was used to identify thymocytes that express major histocompatibility complex-restricted antigen receptors, and to define the spatial relation between these receptor-bearing thymocytes and individual thymic cortical and medullary epithelial subtypes by ultrastructural immunohistochemistry. We show that in both the cortex and medulla 1) the thymocytes that reacted with R73 antibodies exhibited three staining patterns: cytoplasmic-only staining, simultaneous cytoplasmic and surface membrane staining, and surface membrane-only staining; 2) the subcapsular/perivascular epithelial cells (ECs) were usually associated with thymocytes expressing perinuclear staining only; and 3) the surface membrane areas of thymocytes that expressed antigen receptors made contact with pale and intermediate ECs, but not with dark cells. These results suggest that thymic selection of major histocompatibility complex restriction and/or tolerance may occur by interaction of the receptors on maturing thymocytes with major histocompatibility complex antigens on thymic ECs in general, and on pale and intermediate subtypes in particular.

Inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines regulate the recovery from sublethal X irradiation in rat thymus.

We investigated the regeneration of rat thymus after sublethal X irradiation (6 Gy). The number of thymocytes was much lower on day 3 after irradiation, and many apoptotic cells were observed. However, by day 5, there had been a rapid proliferation of thymocytes. Since cytokines are considered to be important regulatory factors in postirradiation recovery, we performed in vivo cytokine assays using semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and found serial changes in the cytokine message. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin 1 beta (Il1b), Il6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (Tnf) was higher than normal on day 3, lower on day 5, and higher again on day 7. In particular, Tnf was completely absent on day 5 and was expressed again on day 7. Of the anti-inflammatory cytokines Il4, transforming growth factor beta (Tgfb) and Il10, only the Il10 message changed substantially. Il10 expression was very high on day 5 but was completely absent on day 7. Thus the Tnf and Il10 messages were expressed alternately. The changes in the distribution of macrophages detected by the immunohistochemical analysis may be related to the changes in the cytokines. Analysis of cytokine messages in the regenerating thymus in vivo may provide new insights into potential therapies for radiation-induced damage.