Ultrastructural morphology of lymphocytes of the Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx)

An ultrastructural study on the lymphocytes from peripheral blood samples from 20 healthy adult Arabian oryx (Oryx leucocoryx) was undertaken. Small lymphocytes ranged in size from 2-3.5 microm and exhibited the typical repertoire of organelles found in small lymphocytes of other animals but showed no evidence of azurophilic granules. Medium-sized lymphocytes were 5-6.5 microm in diameter and occasionally demonstrated azurophilic granules. Microvilli were a common finding of lymphocytes. Of particular interest was the presence of multivesicular bodies, which have previously only been described in human lymphocytes. Both small- and medium-sized lymphocytes of the Arabian oryx were smaller than those reported for other animals. Small lymphocytes exhibited short, thick microvilli, whereas medium-sized lymphocytes had long thin microvilli, a single nucleolus and occasionally azurophilic granules and multivesicular bodies.