Lymphatic capillary

The lymphatic capillaries are close-ended vessels in close proximity to blood capillaries and, like blood capillaries, lymphatic capillaries are composed of a single layer of endothelial cells. However, large gaps in between these cells allow not only fluid, but also proteins and particulate matter to enter the lymphatic capillaries quite readily. Once the fluid has entered these capillaries, it is referred to as lymph. Not surprisingly, the composition of this fluid is similar to that of the interstitial fluid. 

I 17 Maruyama I, Bell CE, Majerus PW Thrombomodulin is found on endothelium of arteries, veins, capillaries, lymphatics, and syncy-tioblasts of human placenta. J Cell Biol I 985 101 363-371,... 

Histological sections of the lymphatics permit the classification into two distinct subsets, initial lymphatics and collecting lymphatics. The initial lymphatics (sometimes also denoted as terminal or capillary lymphatics) form a set of blind endings in the tissue that feed into the collecting lymphatics, and that in turn, are the conduits into the lymph nodes. While both initial and collecting lymphatics are lined... 

Airway cross-sections have the nominal anatomy shown in Fig. 5.16. Airway surface liquid (AST), primarily composed of mucus gel and water, surrounds the airway lumen with a thickness thought to vary from 5 to 10 mm. AST lies on the apical surface of airway epithelial cells (mostly columnar ciliated epithelium). This layer of cells, roughly two to three cells thick in proximal airways and eventually thinning to a single cell thickness in distal airways, rests along a basement membrane on its basal surface. Connective tissue (collagen fibers, basement membranes, elastin, and water) lies between the basement membrane and airway smooth muscle. Edema occurs when the volume of water within the connective tissue increases considerably. Interspersed within the smooth muscle are respiratory supply vessels (capillaries, arteriovenous anastomoses), nerves, and lymphatic vessels. 

Figure 13 presents a schematic diagram for drug absorption from the peritoneal cavity. As mentioned above, particles (e.g., erythrocytes, bacteria, colloidal gold, and liposomes) which are not able to pass capillary membranes are removed from the peritoneal cavity via the lymphatic system (Fig. 13, I and II). Relatively low molecular weight compounds (e.g., drugs) are exclusively absorbed via splenic blood capillaries into the portal vein (Fig. 13, III).

Several studies have been performed in order to investigate the effect of liposomal size (Hirano and Hunt, 1985), lipid composition (Senior and Gregoriadis, 1982 Hirano et al., 1985), and lipid dose (Ellens et al., 1983, Kim et al., 1987) on the fate of liposomes after intraperitoneal administration. In the size range studied (0.048-0.72 Min), no size-dependent absorption could be expected (Hirano and Hunt, 1985). Particles larger than 22.5 pm are not expected to enter the lymphatic capillaries (Allen, 1956). After intraperitoneal administration of multivesicular liposomes (19 + 7 ym), Kim and Howell (1987a) and Kim et al. (1987) showed that liposomal entrapment of Ara-C prolongs the half-Ufe of the drug in the peritoneal... 

FIGURE 13 Schematic diagram for drug absorption fi om the peritoneal cavity. I and II represent the lymphatic system and III represents splenic blood capillaries. (Adapted from Hirano and Hunt, 1985.)... 

A highly complex network of arteries, arterioles, and capillaries penetrates the dermis from below and extends up to the surface of, but not actually into, the epidermis. A matching venous system siphons the blood and returns it to the central circulation. Blood flow through the vasculature is linked to the production and movement of lymph through a complementary dermal lymphatic system. The dermis is laced with tactile, thermal, and pain sensors. 

The lymphatic system of the skin extends up and into the papillary layers of the dermis. A dense, flat meshwork of lymphatic capillaries is found here [11]. Lymph passes into a deeper network at the lower boundary of the dermis. Serum, macrophages, and lymphocytes readily negotiate through the skin s lymphatic and vascular networks. 

Similar to blood capillaries, the lymphatic capillaries consist of a single layer of endothelial cells joined together by intercellular junctions. The diameter of small pores is 12 nm, whereas large pores range between 50 and 70 nm. The rate of formation of lymph depends on the hydrostatic pressure of blood and the... 

Although most drugs are absorbed from the intestine by the blood capillary network in the villi, they can also be taken up by the lymphatic system (an integral and necessary part of the vascular system, the function of which is to collect extra tissue fluid and return it to the vascular compartment), particularly by M cells that reside in the Peyer s patch regions of the intestine. Peyer s patches have also been implicated in the regulation of the secretory immune response. Wachsmann et al. [277] reported that an antigenic material encapsulated within a liposome, when administered perorally, is taken up by these M cells and exhibited better saliva and serum IgA (primary and secondary)... 

Over the course of a day, approximately 20 1 of fluid are filtered from the capillaries and about 171 of fluid are reabsorbed into the capillaries. The remaining 31 is returned to the vascular compartment by way of the lymphatic system. 

Lymphatic capillaries join together to form larger lymphatic vessels that have valves within them to ensure the one-way flow of lymph. The lymph is moved along by two mechanisms. Automatic, rhythmic waves of contraction of the smooth muscle in the walls of these vessels are the primary mechanism by which lymph is propelled through the system. Second, the contraction of skeletal muscles causes compression of lymphatic vessels. As in the veins, this pumping action of the surrounding skeletal muscles contributes to movement of the lymph. Ultimately, the lymph is returned to the blood when it empties into the subclavian and jugular veins near the heart. 

Mucosa. The innermost layer of the wall is the mucosa, which consists of a mucous membrane, the lamina propria, and the muscularis mucosa. The mucous membrane provides important protective and absorptive functions for the digestive tract. The nature of the epithelial cells lining the tract varies from one region to the next. Rapidly dividing stem cells continually produce new cells to replace worn out epithelial cells. The average life span of these epithelial cells is only a few days. The lamina propria is a thin middle layer of connective tissue. This region contains the capillaries and small lymphatic vessels that take up the digested nutrient molecules. The muscularis mucosa is a thin layer of smooth muscle. Contraction of this muscle may alter the effective surface area for absorption in the lumen. 

Chylomicrons leave the absorptive cell by way of exocytosis. Because they are unable to cross the basement membrane of the blood capillaries, the chylomicrons enter the lacteals, which are part of the lymphatic system. The vessels of the lymphatic system converge to form the thoracic duct that drains into the venous system near the heart. Therefore, unlike products of carbohydrate and protein digestion that are transported directly to the liver by way of the hepatic portal vein, absorbed lipids are diluted in the blood... 

The rate of absorption from an SC injection site may be retarded by immobilization of the limb, local cooling to cause vasoconstriction, or application of a tourniquet proximal to the injection site to block the superficial venous drainage and lymphatic flow. In small amounts, adrenergic stimulants, such as epinephrine, will constrict the local blood vessels and, therefore, slow systemic absorption. Conversely, cholinergic stimulants (such as methacholine) will induce very rapid systemic absorption subcutaneously. Other agents may also alter their own rate of absorption by affecting local blood supply or capillary permeability. 

The Endothelium and Lymphatics The capillary endothelial surface of the lung is the largest in the body [131]. The alveolar-capillary endothelium has... 

In many cases, contrast agent-mediated imaging is based on the ability of some tissues (i.e., macrophage-rich ones) to absorb particulate substances. This process is particle size dependent and relies on a fine balance between particles small enough to enter the blood or lymphatic capillaries yet large enough to be retained within the tissue. 

Drug molecules that have traversed the physieal and enzymatic barriers of the colonic mucosa may enter the blood-eapillary bed or the lymphatic sinuses. Intact drug that reaches the venous capillaries from the submucosa is transported to the liver via the hepatic-portal system where they may undergo significant metabolism. On the other hand, uptake into the lymphatie sinuses of the colon results in direct delivery into the systemic circulation that causes less metabolic breakdown of the absorbed drug [3]. 

The brain lacks connection with the lymphatic system. The interstitial fluid drains into the perivascular space, which surrounds arteries and veins, and from there into the sub-arachnoid space where it mixes with the cerebrospinal fluid. This is secreted by the choroid plexuses, which are capillary-rich outgrowths into cavities within the brain, known as ventricles. From the ventricles, cerebrospinal fluid flows through channels to the surface of the brain and... 

The pleural tissue is a typical connective tissue that consists mostly of matrix the fibrous proteins (collagen, elastin), and mucopolysaccharides, and a few scattered mesothelial cells, capillaries, venules, and ducts. Anatomists have defined several layers (Fig. 3.4) for each of the pleura. Layers 3 and 5 in Fig. 3.4 contain an abundance of fibrous protein, especially elastin. Both the interstitial (Layer 4) and mesothelial (1 and 2) layers contain capillaries of the vascular system and lymphatic channels. The matrix (ground substance) gives the pleura structural integrity and is responsible for its mechanical properties such as elasticity and distensibility. 

Particulates can either cross into the lymphatics at the spaces in the tracheobronchial wall where epithelial cells directly overlay lymphoid tissue or pass through the endothelium of thin capillary walls in the air spaces. The transfer is a portion of a clearance mechanism that assists the lung in maintaining its normal function of gas exchange. Absorbtion and transport mechanisms of a variety of materials that enter the lymphatics continue to be studied. It was shown early in this century that water, dyes, proteins, bacteria, lipids, and particulates enter the lymphatic system relatively easily. The rates of transport and quantity vary with the size and chemistry of the material. Classic studies by Kihara (1924 1950) and Nishikawa (1941) dem-... 

Fig. 3.5 The lymphatic flow system in the human lung. (A) Direction of efferent flow of lymph circulation and location of lymph nodes. Note the large size of the nodes at the mediastinum. (B) The capillary net of lymph vessels—periarterial, peri-venial and peribronchial—and the collecting lymph ducts and nodes.

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