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Experimental study of lymph node auto-transplantation in rats
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, China.
Objective:
To observe the restoration of structure and function of auto-transplanted lymph nodes.
Methods:
Inguinal lymph nodes in Spregue-Dawley (SD) rats were auto-transplanted by free implantation, or with an intact vascular pedicle, or by free transplantation with microvascular anastomosis, to the popliteal fossa where lymph nodes were removed. The observation methods included emission computerized tomographic (ECT) scanning, staining of China ink and methylthionine chloride to observe the histological changes.
Results:
After four weeks, these vascularized nodes showed normal histological appearances and spontaneously reestablished afferent and efferent lymphatic reconnection with the surrounding lymphatic vessels. ECT lymphoscintigraphy with 99mTc-Dx showed that vascularized lymph nodes had restored their normal function.
Conclusion:
Vascularized lymph node transplantation is a useful method for draining extremity lymph edema.