Ultrastructural and morphometrical study on the reticular framework and reticular fibers in the hemolymph nodes of wistar rats

Abstract EN

The ultrastructure of reticular framework (RFW) and reticular fibers (RFs) in hemolymph nodes (HLNs) of Wistar rats were studied by transmission electron microscope (EM) and by morphometrical analysis using computer to calculate the area of (RFs) occupied by collagen fibrils (CFs).

It was found that RFW consists of fibroblastic reticular cells (FBRCs) and their cytoplasmic processes which almost completely envelope RFs.

The RFs contained CFs and amorphous materials.

The mean value of the area of RFs occupied by CFs was 78.7%, which is much higher than that in normal lymph nodes (NLN), which was about 49.9%, a feature that may contribute to the functions of RFs in HLNs.