CYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON CARBOHYDRATES IN THE RETICULAR CELLS OF THE RAT SPLENIC CORD

Carbohydrates in the reticular cells of the rat splenic cord were stud ied by means of a series of electron microscopic cytochemical methods. The results indicated that the reticular cells contained an appreciab le abundance of glycogen particles in the cytoplasm. In the free surfa ce coat of the plasma membrane, the cells included neutral glycoprotei n, which were devoid of detectable amounts of acidic glycoconjugates. The possible physiological significance of these carbohydrates is disc ussed, with special reference to their characteristic cytochemical fea tures examined in the present study.