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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
06:14
The Isolation of Flowing Mesenteric Lymph in Mice to Quantify In Vivo Kinetics of Dietary Lipid Absorption and Chylomicron Secretion
Published on: November 30, 2022
Secretion of Extracellular Vesicles Into the Mesenteric Lymph During Fasting and Lipid Absorption
Tianyu Hang1, Rita Wang1, Kundanika Mukherjee1
1Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Medicine University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada.
Journal of Extracellular Biology
|July 24, 2026
Summary
Researchers explored gut-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in mesenteric lymph. Lipid infusion increased EV secretion, suggesting EVs play a role in lipid absorption and may interact with chylomicrons.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology and Cell Biology
- Investigates the role of extracellular vesicles in nutrient absorption and transport.
- Focuses on the unique biofluid of mesenteric lymph for studying gut-derived EVs.
Background:
- The intestine is crucial for nutrient homeostasis and systemic health.
- The small intestine packages dietary lipids into chylomicrons for secretion into mesenteric lymph.
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate cell-to-cell communication and exhibit organ-specific characteristics, but their secretion from the intestine into lymph is unstudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize gut-derived EVs secreted into the mesenteric lymph.
- To investigate the impact of lipid infusion on EV secretion and characteristics.
- To explore the relationship between gut-derived EVs and chylomicrons during lipid absorption.
Main Methods:
- Collected mesenteric lymph from Sprague-Dawley rats before and after duodenal lipid infusion.
- Utilized transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis to characterize EVs.
- Performed flow cytometry using antibodies against EV markers (CD63, CD81, CD9) and apolipoprotein B (ApoB).
Main Results:
- Lipid infusion significantly increased lymph triglyceride output and EV secretion, indicated by elevated CD63, CD81, and CD9 markers.
- EVs in lymph ranged from 20 to 300 nm in diameter.
- Gut-derived EVs showed distinct patterns in ApoB+ particle populations, with varying affinities to chylomicrons, suggesting multiple EV subtypes.
Conclusions:
- The intestine functions as an EV-secreting organ, releasing EVs into the mesenteric lymph.
- Mesenteric lymph is a key biofluid for studying gut-derived EVs.
- EVs rapidly respond to lipid supply and may bind to or co-secrete with chylomicrons, highlighting a novel mechanism in lipid absorption.
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