Temperature-dependent modulation of regional lymphatic contraction frequency and flow

Lymph drainage and propulsion are sustained by an extrinsic mechanism, based on mechanical forces acting from the surrounding tissues against the wall of lymphatic vessels, and by an intrinsic mechanism attributable to active spontaneous contractions of the lymphatic vessel muscle. Despite being heterogeneous, the mechanisms underlying the generation of spontaneous contractions share a common biochemical nature and are thus modulated by temperature. In this study, we challenged excised tissues from rat diaphragm and hindpaw, endowed with spontaneously contracting lymphatic vessels, to temperatures from 24°C (hindpaw) or 33°C (diaphragmatic vessels) to 40°C while measuring lymphatic contraction frequency (f_c) and amplitude. Both vessel populations displayed a sigmoidal relationship between f_c and temperature, each centered around the average temperature of surrounding tissue (36.7 diaphragmatic and 32.1 hindpaw lymphatics). Although the slope factor of the sigmoidal fit to the f_c change of hindpaw vessels was 2.3°C·cycles^-1·min^-1, a value within the normal range displayed by simple biochemical reactions, the slope factor of the diaphragmatic lymphatics was 0.62°C·cycles^-1·min^-1, suggesting the added involvement of temperature-sensing mechanisms. Lymph flow calculated as a function of temperature confirmed the relationship observed on f_c data alone and showed that none of the two lymphatic vessel populations would be able to adapt to the optimal working temperature of the other tissue district. This poses a novel question whether lymphatic vessels might not adapt their function to accommodate the change if exposed to a surrounding temperature, which is different from their normal condition.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study demonstrates to what extent lymphatic vessel intrinsic contractility and lymph flow are modulated by temperature and that this modulation is dependent on the body district that the vessels belong to, suggesting a possible functional misbehavior should lymphatic vessels be exposed to a chronically different temperature.