Characterization of non-lymphoid cells in Peyer's patches of the rat.

The aim of the present study was to correlate in vitro and in situ observations on nonlymphoid cells in Peyer's patches (PP) of the rat. By carrying out enzyme cytochemical reactions (acid phosphatase, APh, and non-specific esterase, NSE) and immunocytochemistry (Ia antigen staining) on cell suspensions and cryostat sections of PP, two classes of nonlymphoid cells could be distinguished. These were (1) strongly APh- and NSE-positive cells without or with a slight Ia membrane staining and (2) strongly Ia-positive cells with a weak APh and NSE activity. The first cell class comprised the classical macrophages which, except for tingible body macrophages, were glass-adherent. The second cell class was non-adherent and comprised dendritic (interdigitating) cells. The role of this Ia-positive non-adherent cell population was discussed, and a hypothesis was presented on the relation between mononuclear blood cells, veiled cells, and interdigitating cells in PP.