Cunicular intestinal membranous cells. Origin, differentiation and medical importance

Abstract

Employing confocal microscopy and Ki-67 and anti-vimentin monoclonal antibodies, this article provides insights into the origin and differentiation of membranous cells resorting to a previously unused model: the rabbit cecal appendix and highlights from this its medical relevance. Regarding their differentiation, the first signs appear in the crypt and match with cells undergoing the most accelerated division stage, while the cells that will complete their maturation in the follicle-associated epithelium and will associate with lymphoid elements are already predetermined before leaving the crypt. Regarding their origin, rabbit M cells originate from cryptal stem cells, as other intestinal cell lines do (enterocytes, goblet cells, and enteroendocrine cells). This study not only corroborates what has been reported in other animals but also highlights the medical importance of continuing to study the molecular pathways of M cell differentiation, given that they currently serve as a gateway for oral vaccines and, additionally, are considered useful for the administration of antigens in autoimmune diseases.