The effects of submandibularectomy on the thymus and the T cell system of mice. The morphological changes.

Morphological changes of the T cell immune system compartments (thymus and spleen) and the steroid hormone producing glands (adrenal and testis) in the submandibular-ectomized (SMx) male mice of CBA/H strain were analyzed. Thymus, spleen, testis and adrenal gland were weighed and processed for the morphological examination by light- and electron-microscopy. The serum level of testosterone was evaluated by radioimmunoassay. No weight and morphological changes were observed in the testis and adrenal gland, and the testosterone level in sera was not changed after SMx. These results indicate that any relationship between the submandibular salivary glands and the immune system was not mediated through them. The epithelial hormone-producing cells located in thymus medulla showed the most prominent changes after SMx evaluated by the neuron specific enolase immunostainings and by the ultrastructural analysis. After SMx, the number of very active epithelial hormone-producing cells in both cortex and medulla of the thymus was markedly increased.