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Thymic Export of Lymphocytes 3 Days after labelling with Tritiated Thymidine

Nature volume 222, pages 279–280 (1969)Cite this article

Abstract

THE relative importance of cellular and humoral thymic factors in the morphological and functional development or regeneration of the lymphatic tissue is not known precisely1. Export of lymphocytes from the thymus has now been proved in several ways2–6. In the young guinea-pig, this export is determined quantitatively by the combined difference in number of lymphocytes in the veins and arteries of the thymus and the blood flow through the thymus7,8. At least part of the emigrating lymphocytes in the guinea-pig leave the thymus from 2–3 days after having incorporated tritiated thymidine into their DNA9. It has been suggested that most or all of these emigrating lymphocytes are newly formed cells, having divided once and perhaps several times within 3 days. If this is so, it should be possible to label a greater proportion of the emigrating thymic lymphocytes by repeated injections of tritiated thymidine than by a single injection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Histology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm

    U. ERNSTRÖM & B. LARSSON

Authors
  1. U. ERNSTRÖM
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  2. B. LARSSON
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ERNSTRÖM, U., LARSSON, B. Thymic Export of Lymphocytes 3 Days after labelling with Tritiated Thymidine. Nature 222, 279–280 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/222279a0

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