Maintenance of Mouse Spleen in Organ Culture and Assessment of Certain Functional Capabilities

Abstract

A method for maintaining mouse spleen in organ culture has been described. Under appropriate conditions, the spleens survive for at least 8 days in vitro. The histological appearance of most of the cells remains normal, and glucose uptake and release of immunoglobulins persist during cultivation. Satisfactory results are dependent on utilization of relatively thick sections of splenic tissue: thin specimens (<0.5 mm slices from adult spleen and whole spleens from fetal mice) fail to survive well, whereas slices of >1.5 mm thickness or whole spleens from adult mice survive histologically and functionally for a period of at least 8 days.