Migration of bone marrow cells to the thymus in mice after a single sublethal-dose irradiation
Varlet, A.; Lenaerts, P.; Houben-Defresne, M.P.; Boniver, J.
Comptes Rendus des Seances de la Societe de Biologie et de ses Filiales 176(3): 384-390
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0037-9026 PMID: 6215104 Document Number: 188925
In sublethally irradiated mice, thymus repopulation is due first to the proliferation of surviving thymocytes followed by the multiplication of bone marrow derived prothymocytes. The migration of bone marrow cells to the thymus after a single sublethal whole-body X irradiation was studied by using fluorescein isothiocyanate as a cell marker. Irradiation increases the permissiveness of the thymus to the immigration of bone marrow cells. Furthermore, the post-Rx regenerating bone marrow cells exhibit migration capacities greater than the normal ones. The radiation induced changes in the bone marrow thymus interaction might play an important role in thymus regeneration after sublethal irradiation.