Dendritic cells in the rat spleen follicles. A combined immuno- and enzyme histochemical study.

Follicles of peripheral lymphoid organs (rat) contain a type of non-lymphoid cell which is capable of arresting antigen-antibody complexes at the cell surface. These so-called dendritic cells can be visualized in immunized rats by staining antigen-antibody complexes with immunohistoperoxidase techniques. The present study concerns a classification of these cells and comparison with known non-lymphoid cell types such as macrophages, marginal metallophils and tingible body macrophages in the rat spleen follicles. Immunoenzyme histochemical and (enzyme) histochemical techniques have been combined in the same tissue sections to correlate the functional capacity of binding immune complexes with morphological characteristics or phagocytic capacity. Dendritic cells show silver affinity but do not demonstrate a characteristic pattern of hydrolytic enzymes or phagocytosis.