Formation of lymph follicles and germinal centers in the somatic and mesenteric lymph nodes of growing mice during ontogenesis

We investigated the age-dependent changes that occur in the numbers of lymph follicles and germinal centers in various lymph nodes in BALB/C and ICR mice aged between four days and 16 to 18 weeks. Young adult BALB/C mice have a relatively small body size, compared to ICR mice at the same stage, where there is a relatively large body size. In BALB/C mice somatic (popliteal, brachial, axillary, inguinal, submandibular and deep cervical) and mesenteric lymph nodes were examined. In ICR mice only the somatic (popliteal, brachial and axillary) lymph nodes were examined. In both BALB/C and ICR mice, the primary follicles were apparent in most somatic nodes by the 6th postnatal day. Up to 28 days of age, the number of follicles per node increased, reaching different levels in nodes from different locations. Thereafter, in most of the somatic nodes in BALB/C mice the number of follicles increased only slightly, although there was a substantial increase in ICR mice, reaching a peak or a plateau at 8 or 12 weeks of age. In the mesenteric (ileocecal) nodes in BALB/C mice, the primary follicles first appeared at 10 to 12 days, then there was a linear increase until a plateau level was reached at 8 weeks of age. Germinal centers appeared in the mesenteric nodes at 28 days and increased rapidly in number thereafter. In most somatic nodes germinal centers were scarcely observable until 8 weeks of age. Based on our observations we have three suggestions. Firstly, in BALB/C mice there were two different patterns of age-dependent changes in the numbers of lymph follicles in the somatic and the mesenteric nodes during ontogenesis. These different patterns are probably due to variations in the magnitude of the exogenous antigen stimulatory effect. Secondly, it seems likely that the variations in the numbers of lymph follicles that are produced in somatic nodes at different locations during the first 28 days after birth relate to the dimensions of the body regions that are drained by that particular somatic node at that stage of development. Thirdly, in the relatively small BALB/C mice, the ontogenetic production of lymph follicles in a somatic node is mostly completed during the first four weeks of life, whereas in the relatively larger ICR mice, this process may continue until the young adult stage of 8 weeks.