AJP - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Vol 270, Issue 1 324-H329, Copyright © 1996 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Transport in lymphatic capillaries. I. Macroscopic measurements using residence time distribution theory

M. A. Swartz, D. A. Berk and R. K. Jain
Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, USA.

We present a novel integrative method for characterizing transport in the lymphatic capillaries in the tail of the anesthetized mouse, which is both sensitive and reproducible for quantifying uptake and flow. Interstitially injected, fluorescently labeled macromolecules were used to visualize and quantify these processes. Residence time distribution (RTD) theory was employed to measure net flow velocity in the lymphatic network as well as to provide a relative measure of lymphatic uptake of macromolecules from the interstitium. The effects of particle size and injection pressure were determined. The uptake rate was found to be independent of particle size in the range of a 6- to 18-nm radius; beyond this size, the interstitial matrix seemed to pose a greater barrier. A comparison of 10 vs. 40 cmH2O injection pressure showed a significant influence on the relative uptake rate but not on the net velocity within the network (3.3 +/- 0.8 vs. 3.8 +/- 1.0 micron/s). This suggested the presence of a systemic driving force for baseline lymph propulsion that is independent of the local pressure gradients driving the uptake. This model can be used to examine various aspects of transport physiology of the initial lymphatics.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Uzarski, M. B. Drelles, S. E. Gibbs, E. L. Ongstad, J. C. Goral, K. K. McKeown, A. M. Raehl, M. A. Roberts, B. Pytowski, M. R. Smith, et al. The resolution of lymphedema by interstitial flow in the mouse tail skin Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, March 1, 2008; 294(3): H1326 - H1334. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. T. Reddy, D. A. Berk, R. K. Jain, and M. A. Swartz A sensitive in vivo model for quantifying interstitial convective transport of injected macromolecules and nanoparticles J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2006; 101(4): 1162 - 1169. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Rutkowski, K. C. Boardman, and M. A. Swartz Characterization of lymphangiogenesis in a model of adult skin regeneration Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, September 1, 2006; 291(3): H1402 - H1410. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Ono, R. Mizuno, and T. Ohhashi Effective permeability of hydrophilic substances through walls of lymph vessels: roles of endothelial barrier Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, October 1, 2005; 289(4): H1676 - H1682. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Kobayashi, S. Kawamoto, R. A. Star, T. A. Waldmann, Y. Tagaya, and M. W. Brechbiel Micro-magnetic Resonance Lymphangiography in Mice Using a Novel Dendrimer-based Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent Cancer Res., January 15, 2003; 63(2): 271 - 276. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Szuba, W. S. Shin, H. W. Strauss, and S. Rockson The Third Circulation: Radionuclide Lymphoscintigraphy in the Evaluation of Lymphedema J. Nucl. Med., January 1, 2003; 44(1): 43 - 57. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]