Acta Anatomica Sinica

AAS ›› 2016, Vol. ›› Issue (3): 421-424.doi: 10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2016.03.023

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Architecture of the lymphatic vessel revealed with the whole-mount immunostaining

WANG Hai-jie 1* TAN Yu-zhen1 Pober Jordan S2   

  1. 1. Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Shanghai Medical School of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; 2. Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT 065360812, USA
  • Received:2015-11-16 Revised:2015-12-30 Online:2016-06-06 Published:2016-06-06
  • Contact: WANG Hai-jie E-mail:hjwang@fudan.edu.cn

Abstract:

Objective To reveal lymphatic vessels in the tissue with the whole-mount immunostaining and compare this method with indirect injection and section immunostaining methods. Methods The lymphatic vessels in the capsule of the newborn liver were indirectly injected with Prussian blue; the architecture of the superficial hepatic lymphatic vessels was viewed. Drainage of the vessels was analyzed with collodion sections. Human skin of the femoral region was removed, and the distribution of the lymphatic vessels in paraffin and frozen sections was determined. After the skin of the ear and back, diaphragm and small intestine were removed from rats, the tissue pieces were stained with immunofluorescence, and the architecture of the lymphatic vessels in the tissue was examined.
Results Indirect injection of Prussian blue revealed the architectures and drainage of the lymphatic vessels, while staining of the lymphatic vessels was short of specificity. With immunostaining, the tissue sections showed the distribution of the lymphatic vessels. However, the density of the lymphatic vessels was not analyzed accurately in this method. Whole-mount immunostaining of the tissues was desirable. The blind ends of the lymphatic capillaries, lymphatic capillary network and lymphatic plexus were clear. Conclusion The architecture of the intact lymphatic vessels in the tissue may be demonstrated well with the whole-mount immunostaining.