Identification of a novel macrophage population in the normal mouse corneal stroma.

Purpose: To examine the normal murine corneal stroma for the presence of bone marrow-derived leukocytes.

Methods: Wholemounts of paraformaldehyde-fixed corneal stroma from normal mice at 5 to 16 weeks of age were examined in single- and double-color immunomorphologic studies performed with confocal microscopy. The phenotype, morphology, distribution, and density of immunopositive cells were determined.

Flt-3 ligand (FL) drives differentiation of rat bone marrow-derived dendritic cells expressing OX62 and/or CD161 (NKR-P1).

Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DC) of the rat have not been as well characterized as those from the mouse. Here, large quantities of bone marrow-derived rat DC were generated when Flt-3 ligand (FL) was used as an adjunct to granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-4 (IL-4). These cells displayed a typical DC phenotype, expressing MHC class II, CD54, CD80, CD86, and CD11b/c.