The three-dimensional reticular structure of the pig spleen demonstrated by labelling with fluorescein isothiocyanate

Summary Pig spleens were selectively perfused with a fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) containing medium. Histological sections of spleens excised one day later revealed the structure of the reticulum in thick cryostat sections directly in three dimensions. The pattern of the reticulum in silver impregnated sections was comparable to the FITC labelling pattern. This technique preferentially outlines the reticulum of the white pulp and the marginal zone of the spleen.Partly presented at the 6th Europ. Anat. Congr., Hamburg, Sept. 81, Acta Anat. 111, 109, 1981We are grateful to Ms. M. Kaatz and H. Wilting and to Mr. I. King and J. Jarvis for preparing the histological sections and Mr. R. Gallup for the photographs and to Sheila Fryk for secretarial assistanceThis study was partly supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Pa 240/2)