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Updated: Feb 22, 2026
Isolation and Flow Cytometric Characterization of Murine Small Intestinal Lymphocytes
Published on: May 8, 2016
Immune response to systemic inflammation in the intestinal microcirculation
Taylor Thorburn1, Maral Aali2, Christian Lehmann3
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS, and Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS.
Abstract:
Systemic inflammation is characterized by acute or chronic dysregulation of the host immune response. The intestine plays an important role in systemic inflammation. Disturbances in the intestinal microcirculation due to infiltration of immune cells during systemic inflammation can increase bacterial translocation from the gut to the circulation and aggravate the pathological condition. Therefore, the intestinal microcirculation is relevant with respect to two aspects - as pathophysiological trigger and therapeutic target in systemic inflammation. Experimental intravital microscopy represents a unique method to study the immune response in organs and tissues in vivo. Novel non-invasive imaging technologies facilitate the examination of the human microcirculation. Future developments are needed to miniaturize the imaging technologies and automate the time-consuming analyses of the in vivo data in order to make the intestinal microcirculation accessible for routine diagnostics and therapeutic monitoring.
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