Macrophage-lymphocyte cell clusters in the hypothalamic ventricle of some elasmobranch fish: ultrastructural analysis and possible functional significance.

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have demonstrated the existence of lympho-haemopoietic tissue in the meninges and choroid plexuses of various primitive vertebrates, including the stingray Dasyatis akajei and in early human embryos. In the present study, we extend these results analyzing macrophage-lymphocyte cell clusters found in the floor of the hypothalamic ventricle of several specimens of elasmobranchs.

METHODS

After aseptical isolation of the brain from several specimens of smooth dogfish Triakis scyllia, cloudy dogfish Scyliorhinus torazame, gummy shark Mustelus manazo, and stingray Dasyatis akajei their hypothalamic regions were processed routinely by light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy.

RESULTS

The study of serial histological sections demonstrated that the macrophage-lymphocyte cell clusters proceeded from the meningeal lymphohaemopoietic tissue, reaching the ventricular lumen along large blood vessels. In this tissue, macrophages, different sized lymphocytes, lymphoblasts, granulocytes, monocytes, and developing and mature plasma cells were closely packed among a meshwork of fibroblastic reticular cell processes. It never invaded the brain parenchyma. A cell layer of glial elements and a continuous basement membrane interposed between the lymphoid tissue and the neural elements although some macrophages had migrated across the ependymal cell layer. In the ventricular lumen very irregular macrophages with long cell processes and containing abundant engulfed material of unknown origin formed big cell clusters with neighboring lymphocytes, lymphoblasts, and plasma cells, similar to those described during the immune response. Moreover, electron lucent cells which resembled the antigen-presenting cells of higher vertebrates established intimate surface cell contacts with the surrounding lymphocytes. In the third ventricle of several specimens of gummy shark, Mustelus manazo, morphologically similar cell clusters appeared but these were not connected to the meningeal lympho-haemopoietic tissue. No intraventricular cell aggregates were found in the stingray brain.

CONCLUSIONS

Although we cannot rule out that these macrophage-lymphocyte cell clusters represent a permanent structure in the elasmobranch brain they rather seem to be only established after specific stimulation for preventing the entrance of noxious, foreign materials into the elasmobranch brain parenchyma.