Functions of Splenic White & Red Pulp

Spleen is composed of reticular tissues that contain reticular cells, fibers, lymphocytes, other blood cells, macrophages,
and APCs (antigen-presenting cells).

Components of Splenic Pulp

White Pulp – it encompasses 20% of splenic tissue which consist the small masses of lymphoid nodules and
periarteriolar lymphoid sheaths (PALS)

Red Pulp – it is made up of blood-filled cavities (venous sinuses) and splenic cords. Its primary function is to filter
the blood of anitgens, microorganisms, and defective or worn-out red blood cells.

Illustration of the splenic microvasculature consist its unique regions:

Small trabecular arteries leaves the trabecular connective tissue and enters the parenchyma as arterioles enveloped by
the PALS, which consist the parts of white pulp such as plasma cells, T cells with some macrophages, and DCs.

Lymph node cortex and Paracortex

The region inside the cortex is called the paracortex which is the portion of a lymph node immediately surrounding the
medulla. Unlike the cortex, which has mostly immature T cells, or thymocytes, the paracortex has a mixture of immature
and mature T cells.

High Endothelial Venules

 High endothelial venules are mostly found in the paracortex of lymph nodes, also in tonsils and Peyer patches. It
is unusually shaped but generally considered as cuboidal and facilitates the rapid translocation of lymphocytes from
blood into the lymphoid tissue.

Integrins promote adhesion between the lymphocytes and endothelial cells, and the lymphocytes cross the
vessel wall into the lymph node parenchyma

Lymph node medulla

a. Medulla consist mainly the medullary sinuses, which is separated by the medullary cords where blood vessel can
be also seen.
b. Plasma cells (arrow) with spherical, eccentric nuclei and much more cytoplasm than lymphocytes can be seen
through the higher magnification of the medullary cords. Same with the medullary sinus with a meshwork of
eosinophilic processes from surrounding reticular cells.

Each central arteriole eventually leaves the white pulp and enters the red pulp, losing its sheath of lymphocytes and
branching as several short straight penicillar arterioles that continue as capillaries, which some of it are sheathed with
APCs for the additional immunity surveillance of blood.

Splenic Cords – contain a network of reticular cells and fibers filled with T and B lymphocytes, macrophages, and other
leukocytes and red blood cells. It is separated by the sinusoids.

Stave Cells – is an unusual elongated endothelial cell responsible for lining the sinusoids, and is oriented parallel to the
blood flow that is sparsely wrapped by the reticular fibers and basal lamina.

Two Routes of Blood Flow through the splenic red pulp:

Closed Circulation – the capillaries branching the penicillar arterioles that is directly connected to the sinusoids
and the blood is always enclosed by endothelium

Open Circulation – the capillaries from about half of the penicillar arterioles are open-ended uniquely, which
dumps the blood into the stroma of the splenic cords.
 Iron released from hemoglobin during the degradation of RBCs is stored by macrophages within complexes of
ferritin proteins or bound to transferrin, returned to the circulation, and reused primarily for erythropoiesis.

Iron-free heme is either bound to its transport protein, hemopexin, or is metabolized to bilirubin and excreted
in the bile by liver cells. After surgical removal of the spleen (splenectomy), the number of abnormal erythrocytes in the
circulation increases although most such cells are then removed by macrophages in sinusoids of the bone marrow and
liver.

Trabecular veins – lack significant smooth muscle and resemble endothelium lined channels hollowed out in the
trabecular connective tissues. Starting from the sinusoids, blood proceeds to small red pulp veins then converge as the
trabecular veins.

Major Lymphoid Organs

 Thymus
 MALT (mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue)
 Lymph nodes
 Spleen

Medical Application

Splenomegaly – also known as the enlargement of the spleen can occur from a variety of causes, such as
lymphoma or other malignant growth, mononucleosis, sickle cell disease and other types of anemia. Splenic capsule is
relatively thin, and an enlarged spleen is susceptible to traumatic rupture, a potentially life-threatening occurrence due
to loss of blood into the abdominal cavity. Such rupture may require prompt surgical removal of the spleen,
splenectomy, after which most functions of the organ are carried out by other lymphoid organs, with erythrocyte
removal occurring in the liver and bone marrow.