Study on Dynamic Changes of Lymphocytes in Chickens by Flow Cytometry

In order to verify the development of T B lymphocytes and subsets of the T cell in chickens within 1 month, SPF chickens were killed in 3,5,7,9,11,14,17,22,27,32 days respectively. Lymphocytes were separated from blood, spleen, thymus and bursa of chickens. Then the content of Bu-1a~+B cell, CD3~+, CD4~+, CD8~+and TCRγ~+CD3~+ T cells and apoptosis of blood lymphocyte were checked by using flow cytometry with double-color-staining method in different days, respectively. The results showed: T B lymphocytes were in the early stage of differentiating, maturing and were tending a increasing way except thymus within 1 month; but found no regularity in changes of T cell subsets. The speed of developing and maturing of B lymphocyte in bursa and T lymphocyte in spleen is the most rapidly in 3-9 days. Apoptosis of blood lymphocyte were decreasing especially 9th day later. They demonstrated T B lymphocytes were in differentiating and developing in thymus and bursa continually, and then entering into spleen and blood, made matured lymphocyte content increasing within 1 month. But Bu-1a~+B cell and CD3~+T,CD4~+T,CD8~+T were in the lowest level in blood at 7th day, expressed lowest humeral and cellular immunological level at 7th day, then went to another lower at 17th day. TCRγ~+CD3~+T lymphocyte changing in a stable pattern.