The effect of antigen on the development of Peyer's patches in sheep.

The proposition that the development of Peyer's patches (PP) is influenced by antigenic stimulation has been examined in sheep. Terminal lengths of ileum containing about half of the ileocecal PP were isolated from the intestinal tracts of fetal lambs during the last month before birth. Antigen was injected into some of these segments and the subsequent development of the PP studied before and after birth. The injection of either killed B. abortus, ferritin or maternal colostrum into the lumens of the isolated ileal segments did not cause premature growth of the PP follicles, nor did it effect the content of lymphoblasts in them. In contrast, the injection of these antigens into the isolated segments caused the development of germinal centers and plasma cells in the regional mesenteric lymph nodes. Plasma cells also appeared in the lamina propria along the intestinal tract in response to these antigens. These results provided experimental evidence that lymphopoiesis in the follicles of the PP of fetal lambs is not dependent on antigen. The PP in ileal segments that were not injected with antigen and had no contact with antigen subsequently grew at the normal rate before and for the first 2 weeks after birth; after this the growth of the follicles became significantly slower than normal. The follicles in these isolated ileal segments had almost completely disappeared by 3-4 months of age, whereas the follicles in the normal functional ileum did not undergo involution until around 15 months of age. The premature involution in the PP in the isolated segments was prevented by reconnecting the segment to the functional intestinal tract before 3 months of age.