Light and electronmicroscopic observations on hepatic hematopoiesis of human fetuses. I. Granulocytopoiesis in the hepatic mesenchymal tissue

Sequential morphological characteristics of murine fetal liver hematopoietic microenvironment in Swiss Webster mice

Embryonic hematopoiesis occurs via dynamic development with cells migrating into various organs. Fetal liver is the main hematopoietic organ responsible for hematopoietic cell expansion during embryologic development. We describe the morphological sequential characteristics of murine fetal liver niches that favor the settlement and migration of hematopoietic cells from 12 days post-coitum (dpc) to 0 day post-partum. Liver sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Lennert’s Giemsa, Sirius Red pH 10.2, Gomori’s Reticulin, and Periodic Acid Schiff/Alcian Blue pH 1.0 and pH 2.5 and were analyzed by bright-field microscopy. Indirect imunohistochemistry for fibronectin, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), and MMP-9 and histochemistry for naphthol AS-D chloroacetate esterase (NCAE) were analyzed by confocal microscopy. The results showed that fibronectin was related to the promotion of hepatocyte and trabecular differentiation; reticular fibers did not appear to participate in fetal hematopoiesis but contributed to the physical support of the liver after 18 dpc. During the immature phase, hepatocytes acted as the fundamental stroma for the erythroid lineage. The appearance of myeloid cells in the liver was related to perivascular and subcapsular collagen, and NCAE preceded MMP-1 expression in neutrophils, an occurrence that appeared to contribute to their liver evasion. Thus, the murine fetal liver during ontogenesis shows two different phases: one immature and mainly endodermic (<14 dpc) and the other more developed (endodermic-mesenchymal; >15 dpc) with the maturation of hepatocytes, a better definition of trabecular pattern, and an increase in the connective tissue in the capsule, portal spaces, and liver parenchyma. The decrease of hepatic hematopoiesis (migration) coincides with hepatic maturation.

Development of the granule population in neutrophil granulocytes from human bone marrow

Bone marrow from hematologically healthy adults was exposed to a number of fixation procedures for investigation of the heterogeneity of the granule population in neutrophil granulocytes at the ultrastructural level. Four main cell stages were distinguished: early promyelocyte, late promyelocyte, myelocyte, and mature neutrophil granulocyte and described separately; metamyelocytes and band-form or stab cells are described together. The characteristic changes in the cytoplasm during myelopoiesis were analysed quantitatively. Special attention was given to the development of the granule population. Three types of granule arise in successive cell stages: granules which develop a sub-structure in the matrix (nucleated granules) are formed in early promyelocytes, granules with a homogeneous electron-dense matrix (azurophil granules) in late promyelocytes, and granules with a less electron-dense matrix (specific granules) in myelocytes. The three types of granule remain present during myelopoiesis. The best results in distinguishing the granule types were obtained by prefixation either in 0.1% glutaraldehyde or in 1.5% glutaraldehyde followed by washing in phosphate-buffered Ringer solution to which aminotriazole had been added. Granule counts revealed for the mature neutrophil a total number of granules of about 220 per ultrathin section. This population of granules is composed of about 12% nucleated, 11% azurophil, and 77% specific granules. When our previous findings are taken into account, the existence of three successively formed and morphologically distinguishable types of granule in heterophil (neutrophil) granulocytes has been demonstrated for three mammalian species: the guinea pig, the rat, and man. A separate term for the early promyelocyte stage is proposed: eomyelocyte.