Analysis of the histological structure of secondary immune structures in IUGR<i>Sal</i> and IUGR<i>Lep</i> piglets at d21.

<p>(A) Histological structure of spleen and immunodetection of CD79+ cells in IUGR<i>Sal</i> and IUGR<i>Lep</i> piglets at d21. Left panels: Microscopic observation of white pulpe (W) in spleen samples processed with a hemalun-Eosin-Safran staining. Bars = 50 µm. Central arteriolae are indicated by arrows. Primary follicles were easily identified in IUGR<i>Lep</i> (b) and delineated with the small circle but were not visible in IUGR<i>Sal</i> (a). The inset in (b) illustrates cells undergoing intense mitotic activity (arrowhead) found in this area. Right panels: Immunolabelling for CD79 in the white pulp of IUGR piglets treated either with saline (c) or leptin (d) postnatally. (B) Histomorphometrical analysis of Peyer’s patches in IUGR<i>Sal</i> and IUGR<i>Lep</i> piglets at d21. The areas of the whole Peyer’s Patches (PP) and the B follicle were measured and the ratio corresponding to the B follicle area reported to the whole Peyer’s patche surface was determined. Values represent the mean ± SEM (n = 6 per group), *: p<0.05; **: p<0.01, for leptin effect in IUGR piglets.