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Nature Communications Oct 2019Cranial lymphatic vessels (LVs) are involved in the transport of fluids, macromolecules and central nervous system (CNS) immune responses. Little information about...
Cranial lymphatic vessels (LVs) are involved in the transport of fluids, macromolecules and central nervous system (CNS) immune responses. Little information about spinal LVs is available, because these delicate structures are embedded within vertebral tissues and difficult to visualize using traditional histology. Here we show an extended vertebral column LV network using three-dimensional imaging of decalcified iDISCO-clarified spine segments. Vertebral LVs connect to peripheral sensory and sympathetic ganglia and form metameric vertebral circuits connecting to lymph nodes and the thoracic duct. They drain the epidural space and the dura mater around the spinal cord and associate with leukocytes. Vertebral LVs remodel extensively after spinal cord injury and VEGF-C-induced vertebral lymphangiogenesis exacerbates the inflammatory responses, T cell infiltration and demyelination following focal spinal cord lesion. Therefore, vertebral LVs add to skull meningeal LVs as gatekeepers of CNS immunity and may be potential targets to improve the maintenance and repair of spinal tissues.
Topics: Animals; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Lymph Nodes; Lymphatic Vessels; Male; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Microscopy, Confocal; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Spinal Cord Injuries; Spine; Thoracic Duct
PubMed: 31597914
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12568-w -
Korean Journal of Radiology Mar 2020To evaluate the technical feasibility of intranodal lymphangiography and thoracic duct (TD) access in a canine model.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the technical feasibility of intranodal lymphangiography and thoracic duct (TD) access in a canine model.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Five male mongrel dogs were studied. The dog was placed in the supine position, and the most prominent lymph node in the groin was accessed using a 26-gauge spinal needle under ultrasonography (US) guidance. If the cisterna chyli (CC) was not opacified by bilateral lymphangiography, the medial iliac lymph nodes were directly punctured and Lipiodol was injected. After opacification, the CC was directly punctured with a 22-gauge needle. A 0.018-in microguidewire was advanced through the CC and TD. A 4-Fr introducer and dilator were then advanced over the wire. The microguidewire was changed to a 0.035-in guidewire, and this was advanced into the left subclavian vein through the terminal valve of the TD. Retrograde TD access was performed using a snare kit.
RESULTS
US-guided lymphangiography (including intranodal injection of Lipiodol [Guerbet]) was successful in all five dogs. However, in three of the five dogs (60%), the medial iliac lymph nodes were not fully opacified due to overt Lipiodol extravasation at the initial injection site. In these dogs, contralateral superficial inguinal intranodal injection was performed. However, two of these three dogs subsequently underwent direct medial iliac lymph node puncture under fluoroscopy guidance to deliver additional Lipiodol into the lymphatic system. Transabdominal CC puncture and cannulation with a 4-Fr introducer was successful in all five dogs. Transvenous retrograde catheterization of the TD (performed using a snare kit) was also successful in all five dogs.
CONCLUSION
A canine model may be appropriate for intranodal lymphangiography and TD access. Most lymphatic intervention techniques can be performed in a canine using the same instruments that are employed in a clinical setting.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; Ethiodized Oil; Lymph Nodes; Lymphography; Male; Models, Animal; Thoracic Duct; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 32090522
DOI: 10.3348/kjr.2019.0313 -
Diseases of the Esophagus : Official... Sep 2023Despite advances in multidisciplinary treatment, esophagectomy remains the main curative treatment for esophageal cancer. The advantages and disadvantages of thoracic...
Despite advances in multidisciplinary treatment, esophagectomy remains the main curative treatment for esophageal cancer. The advantages and disadvantages of thoracic duct (TD) resection have been controversial for decades. We have herein reviewed relevant published literature regarding 'thoracic duct,' 'esophageal cancer,' and 'esophagectomy' describing the anatomy and function of the TD, and incidence of thoracic duct lymph nodes (TDLN) and TDLN metastases, as well as the oncological and physiological effects of TD resection. The presence of lymph nodes around the TD, referred to as TDLN, has been reported previously. The delineation of TDLNs is clearly defined by a thin fascial structure covering the TD and the surrounding adipose tissue. Previous studies have examined the number of TDLNs and the percentage of patients with TDLN metastasis and revealed that each patient had approximately two TDLNs. The percentage of patients with TDLN metastasis was reported to be 6-15%. Several studies have been conducted to compare the survival after TD resection with that after TD preservation. However, no consensus has been reached because all studies were retrospective, precluding firm conclusions. Although the issue of whether the risk of postoperative complications is affected by TD resection is still unclear, resecting the TD has been shown to have a long-term impact on nutritional status after surgery. In summary, TDLNs are quite common and present in most patients, while metastasis in the TDLNs occurs in a minority. However, the oncological value of TD resection in esophageal cancer surgery remains controversial due to varying findings and methodological limitations of previous comparative studies. Considering the potential but unproven oncological benefits and possible physiological drawbacks of TD resection, including postoperative fluid retention and disadvantages in the long-term nutritional outcome, clinical stage, and nutritional status should be considered before deciding whether to perform TD resection or not.
Topics: Humans; Thoracic Duct; Lymph Node Excision; Retrospective Studies; Esophageal Neoplasms; Lymph Nodes; Postoperative Complications; Lymphatic Metastasis; Esophagectomy
PubMed: 36950928
DOI: 10.1093/dote/doad015 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2020Biliary atresia (BA) is a devastating fibro-inflammatory disease characterized by the obstruction of extrahepatic and intrahepatic bile ducts in infants that can have... (Review)
Review
Biliary atresia (BA) is a devastating fibro-inflammatory disease characterized by the obstruction of extrahepatic and intrahepatic bile ducts in infants that can have fatal consequences, when not treated in a timely manner. It is the most common indication of pediatric liver transplantation worldwide and the development of new therapies, to alleviate the need of surgical intervention, has been hindered due to its complexity and lack of understanding of the disease pathogenesis. For that reason, significant efforts have been made toward the development of experimental models and strategies to understand the etiology and disease mechanisms and to identify novel therapeutic targets. The only characterized model of BA, using a Rhesus Rotavirus Type A infection of newborn BALB/c mice, has enabled the identification of key cellular and molecular targets involved in epithelial injury and duct obstruction. However, the establishment of an unleashed chronic inflammation followed by a progressive pathological wound healing process remains poorly understood. Like T cells, macrophages can adopt different functional programs [pro-inflammatory (M1) and resolutive (M2) macrophages] and influence the surrounding cytokine environment and the cell response to injury. In this review, we provide an overview of the immunopathogenesis of BA, discuss the implication of innate immunity in the disease pathogenesis and highlight their suitability as therapeutic targets.
Topics: Animals; Biliary Atresia; Cholestasis; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Progression; Humans; Immunity, Humoral; Immunity, Innate; Inflammation; Macrophages; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Rotavirus; Rotavirus Infections
PubMed: 32161597
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00329 -
Journal of Vascular Surgery. Venous and... Sep 2022To assess through literature case analysis how advances in lymphatic imaging, interventional radiology, and lymphatic vascular microsurgery illuminate and improve the... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
To assess through literature case analysis how advances in lymphatic imaging, interventional radiology, and lymphatic vascular microsurgery illuminate and improve the lymphatic-flow status in select patients with Noonan syndrome (NS) who have undergone surgical intervention as a part of their comprehensive and individualized treatment plan. Also, we sought to illustrate the spectrum of lymphatic complications that can occur in this patient population when lymphatic flow through abnormal vasculature is surgically disrupted.
METHODS
A literature review was performed by searching "Noonan AND Lymphatic AND Imaging" in the PubMed database. Inclusion criteria for this study were (1) diagnosis and clinical description of at least one original patient with NS, (2) imaging figures depicting lymphatic structure and function or a description of lymphatic imaging findings when a figure is not present, and (3) documentation of either lymphatic surgical intervention or lymphatic complications resulting from other procedures. Patient cases were first grouped by documented surgical intervention type, then clinical outcomes and lymphatic imaging results were compared.
RESULTS
A total of 18 patient cases from 10 eligible publications were included in our review. Lymphatic imaging findings across all patients included lymphatic vessel dysplasia along with flow disruption (n = 16), thoracic duct malformations (n = 12), dermal lymphatic reflux (n = 7), and dilated lymphatic vessels (n = 4). Lymphovenous anastomosis (n = 4) resulted in rapid improvement of patient symptoms and signs. New-onset lymphatic manifestations noted over 10 to 20 years for two of these patients were chylothorax (n = 1), erysipelas (n = 1), and gradual-onset nonchylous scrotal lymphorrhea (n = 1). Targeted endovascular lymphatic disruption via sclerosis, embolization, or ablation (n = 8) results were mixed depending on the degree of central lymphatic involvement and included resolution of symptoms (n = 1), postoperative abdominal hemorrhage (n = 1), stable condition or minor improvement (n = 5), and death (n = 2). Large lymphatic vessel ligation or accidental incision (n = 6) occurred during thoracotomy (n = 4), scrotoplasty (n = 1), or inguinal lymph node biopsy (n = 1). These resulted in postoperative onset of new-onset regional lymphatic reflux (n = 5), chylothorax (n = 4), death (n = 3), or persistent or unchanged symptoms (n = 1).
CONCLUSIONS
Imaging of the central lymphatics enabled characterization of lymphatic developmental features and guided operative management of lymphatic vascular defects in patients with NS. This review of the literature suggests that the surgical preservation or enhancement of central lymphatic return in patients with NS may improve interventional outcomes, whereas the disruption of central lymph flow has significant potential to cause severe postoperative complications and worsening of the patient's clinical condition.
Topics: Humans; Lymphatic Vessels; Noonan Syndrome; Surgery, Computer-Assisted
PubMed: 35561969
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvsv.2022.03.017 -
JTCVS Techniques Jun 2021
PubMed: 34318266
DOI: 10.1016/j.xjtc.2021.01.045 -
Changes of thoracic duct flow and morphology in an animal model of elevated central venous pressure.Frontiers in Physiology 2022Investigation of lymph fluid dynamics in thoracic duct during central venous pressure elevation. Lymphatic flow is affected by elevated central venous pressure (CVP)...
Investigation of lymph fluid dynamics in thoracic duct during central venous pressure elevation. Lymphatic flow is affected by elevated central venous pressure (CVP) in congestive heart failure. The changes of thoracic duct (TD) lymph flow have not been studied chronically in the setting of elevated CVP. This study is to investigate fluid dynamics and remodeling of the TD in the elevated CVP animal model. A flow probe was implanted on the swine TD ( = 6) and tricuspid regurgitation (TR) was created by cutting tricuspid chordae percutaneously. Six swine were used as control group animals. The TD flow was measured for 2 weeks (baseline) before TR and 4 weeks postop-TR surgery. Arterial pressure and CVP were measured. The pressure and flow in the TD were measured percutaneously. Histological and morphological analyses were performed. TR resulted in an increase in CVP from 4.2 ± 2.6 to 10.1 ± 4.3 mmHg ( < 0.05). The lymph flow in the TD increased from 0.78 ± 1.06 before TR to 8.8 ± 4.8 ml/min ( < 0.05) 2 days post-TR and remained plateau for 4 weeks, i.e., the TD flow remained approximately 8-11 fold its baseline. Compared to the 8.1 ± 3.2 mmHg control group, the TD average pressures at the lymphovenous junction increased to 14.6 ± 5.7 mmHg in the TR group ( < 0.05). The TD diameter and wall thickness increased from 3.35 ± 0.37 mm and 0.06 ± 0.01 mm in control to 4.32 ± 0.57 mm and 0.26 ± 0.02 mm ( < 0.05) in the TR group, respectively. The elevated CVP results in a significant increase in TD flow and pressure which causes the TD's outward remodeling and thickening. Our study implicates that the outward remodeling may result in the TD valve incompetence due to failure coaptation of leaflets.
PubMed: 36003647
DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.798284 -
Seminars in Interventional Radiology Aug 2020Chylothorax is a rare condition characterized by lymph accumulation in the pleural space. When it occurs independent of trauma, it is even more rare and difficult to... (Review)
Review
Chylothorax is a rare condition characterized by lymph accumulation in the pleural space. When it occurs independent of trauma, it is even more rare and difficult to treat as identification of lymphatic leak is unpredictable. In addition, treatment of this condition with conventional lymphangiography and thoracic duct embolization may not result in positive outcomes. As such, the role of contrast-enhanced dynamic magnetic resonance lymphangiography to guide treatment is key to maximizing success with the advantage of localizing the site of lymphatic leak. Herein, we summarize etiologies of nontraumatic chylothorax, offer an updated treatment algorithm to stratify affected patients and determine appropriate treatment options, and review procedural techniques critical to efficient and effective treatment.
PubMed: 32773952
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1713444 -
American Journal of Physiology. Heart... Nov 2022The cisterna chyli is a lymphatic structure found at the caudal end of the thoracic duct that receives lymph draining from the abdominal and pelvic viscera and lower... (Review)
Review
The cisterna chyli is a lymphatic structure found at the caudal end of the thoracic duct that receives lymph draining from the abdominal and pelvic viscera and lower limbs. In addition to being an important landmark in retroperitoneal surgery, it is the key gateway for interventional radiology procedures targeting the thoracic duct. A detailed understanding of its anatomy is required to facilitate more accurate intervention, but an exhaustive summary is lacking. A systematic review was conducted, and 49 published human studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies included both healthy volunteers and patients and were not restricted by language or date. The detectability of the cisterna chyli is highly variable, ranging from 1.7 to 98%, depending on the study method and criteria used. Its anatomy is variable in terms of location (vertebral level of T10 to L3), size (ranging 2-32 mm in maximum diameter and 13-80 mm in maximum length), morphology, and tributaries. The size of the cisterna chyli increases in some disease states, though its utility as a marker of disease is uncertain. The anatomy of the cisterna chyli is highly variable, and it appears to increase in size in some disease states. The lack of well-defined criteria for the structure and the wide variation in reported detection rates prevent accurate estimation of its natural prevalence in humans.
Topics: Humans; Thoracic Duct; Prevalence
PubMed: 36206050
DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00375.2022 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2022Congestion is the single most important contributor to heart failure (HF) decompensation. Most of the excess volume in patients with HF resides in the interstitial... (Review)
Review
Congestion is the single most important contributor to heart failure (HF) decompensation. Most of the excess volume in patients with HF resides in the interstitial compartment. Inadequate decongestion implies persistent interstitial congestion and is associated with worse outcomes. Therefore, effective interstitial decongestion represents an unmet need to improve quality of life and reduce clinical events. The key processes that underlie incomplete interstitial decongestion are often ignored. In this review, we provide a summary of the pathophysiology of the interstitial compartment in HF and the factors governing the movement of fluids between the interstitial and vascular compartments. Disruption of the extracellular matrix compaction occurs with edema, such that the interstitium becomes highly compliant, and large changes in volume marginally increase interstitial pressure and allow progressive capillary filtration into the interstitium. Augmentation of lymph flow is required to prevent interstitial edema, and the lymphatic system can increase fluid removal by at least 10-fold. In HF, lymphatic remodeling can become insufficient or maladaptive such that the capacity of the lymphatic system to remove fluid from the interstitium is exceeded. Increased central venous pressure at the site of the thoracic duct outlet also impairs lymphatic drainage. Owing to the kinetics of extracellular fluid, microvascular absorption tends to be transient (as determined by the revised Starling equation). Therefore, effective interstitial decongestion with adequate transcapillary plasma refill requires a substantial reduction in plasma volume and capillary pressure that are prolonged and sustained, which is not always achieved in clinical practice. The critical importance of the interstitium in the congestive state underscores the need to directly decongest the interstitial compartment without relying on the lowering of intracapillary pressure with diuretics. This unmet need may be addressed by novel device therapies in the near future.
PubMed: 36061549
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.933384