One of the most dramatic advancement in medical science during recent decades is the success of tissue and organ transplatation, which is achieved by control of immunologic responses.
Phenomena of graft rejection has long been regarded as the result of immune reaction (Born, 1897 : Jensen, 1903, Tyzzer, 1909; Little, 1924; Snell, 1954; Medawar, 1944). Through the series of studies, this reaction has been proved to be mediated by lymphoid system(Russell, 1908; Fleisher, 1918; Loeb, 1918; Crossen; 1918 Murphy et al., 1926; Witchinson, 1954; Billingham, 1956; Medawar, 1959).
Gallone et al(1952), Scorthone and Macgreger(1955), Radici and Peiredda(1957) and Masse et al(1960) reported that draining lymph nodes from graft site showed hyperplasia with increase of pyroninophilic cells but distant lymph nodes did not show notable alterations. Andre et al(1962) studied the response of lymphoid tissues following the 1st and 2nd set of skin homografts. They reported that in the 1st set homograft draining node showed proliferation of hemocytoblasts, enlargement of germinal center, and alteration of normal architecture while plasma cell response was not appreciable, and in the 2nd set graft similar changes appeared quicker and pronounced. These response developed first in the draining lymph nodes, but later on similar changes are also observed in distant nodes and spleen.
Recently the morphology of the lymph node has been studied in detail and divided into different zones in relation to the function(Cottier, 1972; Adnerson et al, 1974). Thus, it became important to comprehend the morphologic response of the lympy nodes in relation to their functional implication.
Therefore, the present study is aimed at investigating the fresponse of regional lymph nodes morphometrically and histochemically to evaluate morphologic changes with consideration of functional aspect following a non-specific stimulation, autograft, the 1st and 2nd set homografts of the skin in rabbits.
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