Mouse phenotyping with near-infrared fluorescence lymphatic imaging

We demonstrate the ability to non-invasively and quantitatively image lymphatic architecture and contractile function using dynamic near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging with injection of indocyanine green in normal and transgenic mice. Unlike normal mice, which showed well defined lymphatic drainage patterns and orthograde propagation of contraction waves, we observed tortuous and mispatterned lymphatic vessels and persistent retrograde lymph flow in mice with deficiency in Prox1, a transcription factor essential for lymphatic vascular development. NIR fluorescence imaging provides a method for quantifying lymphatic function for future studies designed to discern differences in lymphatic function in murine models of human lymphatic disease.