Appendix and ulcerative colitis

小鼠在盲肠、结肠和直肠有类似Peyer‘s斑块的淋巴器官。然而，它们是有自己的独立功能还是特定的功能还不得而知。给妊娠小鼠注射抗IL-7受体抗体可诱发Peyer‘s斑块缺陷小鼠(PPD-小鼠)，并对其免疫学表现进行研究。整体免疫组织化学染色显示，新生小鼠无彼得斑块，但有结肠和直肠斑块。每周口服或直肠免疫1次，每次2 mg，或KLH3次+10μg霍乱毒素。以相同剂量免疫的正常BALB/c小鼠作为对照。部分小鼠切除盲肠补片，用ELISA法测定小鼠血清免疫球蛋白(Ig)和小肠液中分泌型Ig A水平。用流式细胞术对PPD小鼠的上皮内淋巴细胞(IEL)和固有层淋巴细胞(LPL)进行分析，结果表明，经直肠免疫的PPD小鼠的血清免疫球蛋白和分泌型IgA水平均高于口服免疫的PPD小鼠和对照小鼠。无阑尾的PPD组小鼠血清中KLH特异性免疫球蛋白水平高于PPD组和对照组。在口服免疫的PPD小鼠中，切除阑尾可显著提高血清中KLH特异性的IgG1/IgG2a比值。流式细胞仪检测结果显示，在LPL中未检测到B1细胞(CD5+、B220低、S-IgM高)，与口服免疫相比，经直肠免疫可诱导较强的免疫应答。在粘膜免疫系统中，结肠和直肠补片似乎独立于肠道Peyer‘s补片。此外，阑尾还可能调节全身免疫反应。

The mouse has the lymphoid organs like Peyer's patches in the cecum, colon and rectum. However, it is unknown whether they have their own independent or specific functions. Injection of anti-IL-7 receptor antibody into pregnant mice can induce Peyer's patch deficient mice (PPD-mice), and we studied the immunological findings of these mice.Anti-IL-7 receptor antibody was injected to normal BALB/c mice on the 14th day of pregnancy. Whole-mount immunohistochemical staining showed that the neonatal mice have no Peter's patch but have colonic and rectal patches. They are orally or rectally immunized once a week with 2mg of KLH, or KLH + 10μg of cholera toxin 3 times. Normal BALB/c mice immunized with the same dose were served as control. In some mice, appendectomy was performed to remove the cecal patch: Serum levels of immunogloblins (Igs) and secretary IgA in the small intestinal fluids were measured by ELISA system. Intra-epithelial lymphocytes (IELs) and lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs) were analyzed by flow cytometry.Levels of serum Igs and secretory IgA specific for KLH in the rectally immunized PPD-mice were higher than those in the orally immunized PPD-mice and control mice. The PPD mice without appendix have higher levels of the serum Igs specific for KLH than PPD-mice or control mice. In orally immunized PPD mice, appandectomy induced significant increase in the ratio of serum IgG1/IgG2a specific for KLH. Flow cytometry revealed that B1cells (CD5+,B220 low,s-IgMhigh) are not identified in LPL.Rectal immunization induce potent immune responses compared with the oral immunization in the mice. Colonic and Rectal patches seem to be independent from intestinal Peyer's patches in the mucosal immune system. Moreover, the appendix may modulate systemic immune response.