Department of Organ Anatomy, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, 755-8505, Japan.
Histochem Cell Biol. 2010 Nov;134(5):445-52. doi: 10.1007/s00418-010-0754-2. Epub 2010 Nov 2.
Fatty acids and their metabolites regulate immune cell function. The present study was undertaken to examine the detailed distribution of fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs), the cytosolic chaperones of fatty acids, in mouse peripheral immune organs. Using immunohistochemistry, FABP7 was localized to the alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA)(+) fibroblastic reticular cells, which construct the stromal reticula in the T cell areas of the peripheral lymph nodes and spleen. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that FABP7(+) cells enclosed the collagen fibers, forming a conduit system, which transport lymph and associated low-molecular-mass proteins. In contrast, FABP5(+) cells were distributed throughout the lymph node and contained well-developed lysosome and phagocytic materials within the cytoplasm. The mesenteric lymph nodes of FABP7 knockout mice showed normal histological features, but the percentage of CD4(+) cells was significantly increased compared with that in wild-type mice. These data indicate that FABP7 may be involved in T cell homeostasis, possibly by modulating lipid metabolism in fibroblastic reticular cells within the peripheral lymph nodes.
脂肪酸及其代谢物调节免疫细胞功能。本研究旨在研究脂肪酸胞质伴侣脂肪酸结合蛋白（FABP）在小鼠外周免疫器官中的详细分布。通过免疫组织化学，FABP7 定位于 α-平滑肌肌动蛋白（SMA）（+）纤维母细胞样网状细胞，这些细胞在周围淋巴结和脾脏的 T 细胞区构成基质网状结构。免疫电子显微镜显示，FABP7（+）细胞包绕着胶原纤维，形成一个输送淋巴管和相关低分子量蛋白质的管道系统。相比之下，FABP5（+）细胞分布在整个淋巴结中，细胞质内含有发育良好的溶酶体和吞噬物质。FABP7 基因敲除小鼠的肠系膜淋巴结显示出正常的组织学特征，但与野生型小鼠相比，CD4（+）细胞的百分比显著增加。这些数据表明，FABP7 可能参与 T 细胞稳态，可能通过调节外周淋巴结纤维母细胞样网状细胞中的脂质代谢。
