Summary
Although previously described in other avian species, intrathymic erythropoiesis is a remarkable feature of the thymus of Sturnus unicolor. In discrete stages of the life cycle of this species, erythroblasts and mature erythrocytes occupy large areas of the thymic cortex and cortico-medullary border. Simultaneously, degenerated thymocytes and epithelial-reticular cells occur in the same areas. The relationship between intrathymic erythropoiesis, degeneration of cortical lymphocytes and epithelial-reticular cells, and macrophage activity is discussed and related to a possible functional role of sex hormones in this phenomenon.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albert S, Wolf PL, Pryjma (1965a) Evidence of erythropoiesis in the thymus of mice. J Reticuloendothelial Soc 2:30–39
Albert S, Wolf PL, Pryjma I, Vazquez J (1965b) Variations in morphology of erythroblasts of normal mouse thymus. J Reticuloendothelial Soc 2:158–171
Albert S, Wolf PL, Pryjma I, Vazquez J (1966) Erythropoiesis in the human thymus. Am J Clin Pathol 45:460–464
Bacchus S, Kendall MD (1975) Histological changes associated with enlargement and regression of the thymus glands of the red-billed Quelea quelea L. (Plocidae: weaver-birds). Phil Trans Roy Soc B 273:65–78
Dung HC (1973) Electron microscopic study in involuting thymus of “lethargic” mutant mice. Anat Rec 177:585–602
Ewijk W van, Rouse RV, Weissman IL (1980) Distribution of H-2 microenvironment in the mouse thymus. Immunoelectron microscopic identification of I-A and H2K bearing cells. J Histochem Cytochem 28:1089–1099
Frazier JA (1973) Ultrastructure of the chick thymus. Z Zellforsch 136:191–205
Gilmore RStC, Bridges JB (1974) Histological and ultrastructural studies on the myoid cells of the thymus of the domestic fowl Gallus domesticus. J Anat 118:409–416
Håkanson H, Jarsson LI, Sundler F (1974) Peptide and amine producing endocrine-like cells in the chicken thymus. A chemical, histochemical and electron microscopic study. Histochemistry 39:25–34
Henry M, Charlemagne J (1980) Development of amphibian thymus. I. Morphological differentiation, multiplication, composition and lysis of thymocytes in the urodele Pleurodeles waltlii. J Embryol Exp Morphol 57:219–232
Homo F, Dardenne M, Duval D (1980) Effects of steroids on concanavalin A-induced blasts transformation of mouse lymphoid cells. Cell Immunol 56:381–391
Kendall MD (1975a) Sizes and numbers of nuclei in the cortex of thymus glands of the red-billed weavers Quelea quelea. Cell Tissue Res 164:233–249
Kendall MD (1975b) EMMA-4 analysis of iron in the cells of the thymic cortex of weaver-bird (Quelea quelea). Phil Trans Roy Soc B 273:79–82
Kendall MD (1979) Ultrastructural studies on erythropoiesis in avian thymus glands. II. A stereological analysis of the lymphoid and erythroid cells. Cell Tissue Res 199:63–74
Kendall MD (1980) Avian thymus glands: a review. Dev Comp Immunol 4:191–210
Kendall MD, Frazier JA (1979) Ultrastructural studies on erythropoiesis in the avian thymus. I. Description of cell types. Cell Tissue Res 199:37–61
Kendall MD, Singh J (1980) The presence of erythroid cells in the thymus gland of man. J Anat 130:183–199
Kendall MD, Ward P (1974) Erythropoiesis in an avian thymus. Nature (Lond) 249:366–367
Le Douarin NM, Michel G, Baulieu EE (1980) Studies of testosterone-induced involution of the Bursa of Fabricius. Dev Biol 75:288–302
Lipton JM, Nathan DG (1981) The role of T lymphocytes in human erythropoiesis. In: Sell KW, Miller WV (eds) The lymphocyte. Alan R Liss Inc, New York p 57
Paavonen T, Andersson LC, Adlercreutz H (1981) Sex hormone regulation of in vitro immune response. Estradiol enhances human B cell maturation via inhibition of suppressor T cells in pokeweed mitogen-stimulated cultures. J Exp Med 154:1935–1945
Peris SA (1978) Biología de la alimentación y reproducción del estornino negro (Sturnus unicolor Temm). Doctoral thesis. Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
Rappay GY, Bukulya B, Bacsy E (1971) Fine structure, distribution and function of the rat thymic reticular cells in the perinatal life. Acta Biol Hung 22:187–196
Taylor CR, Skinner JM (1976) Evidence for significant hematopoiesis in the human thymus. Blood 47:305–313
Temple SA (1974) Plasma testosterone titers during the annual reproductive cycle of starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Gen Comp Endocrinol 22:470–479
Ward P, Kendall MD (1975) Morphological changes in the thymus of young and adult red billed queleas (Quelea quelea) (Aves). Phil Trans R Soc B 273:55–64
Zapata A (1980) Ultrastructure of elasmobranch lymphoid tissue. I. Thymus and spleen. DevComp Immunol 4:459–468
Zapata A (1981) Lymphoid organs of teleost fish. I. Structure of the thymus of Rutilus rutilus. Dev Comp Immunol 5:427–438
Zapata A, Fernández J (1981) The thymus of reptiles, emphasizing Lacerta hispanica and Elaphe scalaris with comparison to other vertebrates. Dev Comp Immunol (in press)
Zapata A, Garrido E, Leceta J, Gomariz RP (1982) Relationships between neuroendocrine and immune systems in amphibians and reptiles. Dev Comp Immunol (in press)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fonfria, J., Barrutia, M.G., Garrido, E. et al. Erythropoiesis in the thymus of the spotless starling, Sturnus unicolor . Cell Tissue Res. 232, 445–455 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213799
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00213799