Cell death and phagocytosis of haematopoietic elements at the onset of haematopoiesis in the mouse spleen: an ultrastructural study.

The spleen in fetal and early postnatal mice contains a variety of proliferating haematopoietic cells as well as 2 kinds of phagocytes, scavenger macrophages and mast cells, laden with large heterogeneous inclusions. Their phagocytotic activity is directed towards extruded erythrocyte nuclei, erythrocytes and dying haematopoietic cells. The splenic cords after 18 d of gestation become filled with proliferating haematopoietic cells, and the cords contain a small number of free haematopoietic cells undergoing degeneration. The early signs of cell death can be observed in the nuclear structures: hyperchromasia of the nuclear membrane or nuclear dissolution. Erythroblast nuclei are amongst the most frequent elements engulfed. Phagocytes also take up and digest degenerating blood cells, i.e. erythrocytes, erythroblasts and neutrophil granulocytes. Since the digestion processes are ultrastructurally different for the various haematopoietic elements, the origins of heterolysosomes enclosed by phagocytes can be identified by electron microscopy. Mast cells, originally classified as secretory cells, phagocytose erythroid line cells in the spleen. Cell death in several haematopoietic cell lines is discussed in relation to programmed cell death in the developing spleen.