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Bertoldi G, Caputo I, Calò L, Rossitto G. Lymphatic vessels and the renin-angiotensin-system. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2023; 325:H837-H855. [PMID: 37565265 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00023.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
The lymphatic system is an integral part of the circulatory system and plays an important role in the fluid homeostasis of the human body. Accumulating evidence has recently suggested the involvement of lymphatic dysfunction in the pathogenesis of cardio-reno-vascular (CRV) disease. However, how the sophisticated contractile machinery of lymphatic vessels is modulated and, possibly impaired in CRV disease, remains largely unknown. In particular, little attention has been paid to the effect of the renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) on lymphatics, despite the high concentration of RAS mediators that these tissue-draining vessels are exposed to and the established role of the RAS in the development of classic microvascular dysfunction and overt CRV disease. We herein review recent studies linking RAS to lymphatic function and/or plasticity and further highlight RAS-specific signaling pathways, previously shown to drive adverse arterial remodeling and CRV organ damage that have potential for direct modulation of the lymphatic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Bertoldi
- Emergency and Hypertension Unit, DIMED, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
- Nephrology Unit, DIMED, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Ilaria Caputo
- Emergency and Hypertension Unit, DIMED, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Calò
- Nephrology Unit, DIMED, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giacomo Rossitto
- Emergency and Hypertension Unit, DIMED, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
- School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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Razavi MS, Dixon JB, Gleason RL. Characterization of rat tail lymphatic contractility and biomechanics: incorporating nitric oxide-mediated vasoregulation. J R Soc Interface 2020; 17:20200598. [PMID: 32993429 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The lymphatic system transports lymph from the interstitial space back to the great veins via a series of orchestrated contractions of chains of lymphangions. Biomechanical models of lymph transport, validated with ex vivo or in vivo experimental results, have proved useful in revealing novel insight into lymphatic pumping; however, a need remains to characterize the contributions of vasoregulatory compounds in these modelling tools. Nitric oxide (NO) is a key mediator of lymphatic pumping. We quantified the active contractile and passive biaxial biomechanical response of rat tail collecting lymphatics and changes in the contractile response to the exogenous NO administration and integrated these findings into a biomechanical model. The passive mechanical response was characterized with a three-fibre family model. Nonlinear regression and non-parametric bootstrapping were used to identify best-fit material parameters to passive cylindrical biaxial mechanical data, assessing uniqueness and parameter confidence intervals; this model yielded a good fit (R2 = 0.90). Exogenous delivery of NO via sodium nitroprusside (SNP) elicited a dose-dependent suppression of contractions; the amplitude of contractions decreased by 30% and the contraction frequency decreased by 70%. Contractile function was characterized with a modified Rachev-Hayashi model, introducing a parameter that is related to SNP concentration; the model provided a good fit (R2 = 0.89) to changes in contractile responses to varying concentrations of SNP. These results demonstrated the significant role of NO in lymphatic pumping and provide a predictive biomechanical model to integrate the combined effect of mechanical loading and NO on lymphatic contractility and mechanical response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad S Razavi
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30313, USA
| | - J Brandon Dixon
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30313, USA.,Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, 313 Ferst Drive, Atanta, GA 30332, USA.,Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, 315 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Rudolph L Gleason
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30313, USA.,Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, 313 Ferst Drive, Atanta, GA 30332, USA.,Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, 315 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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Bertram CD, Macaskill C, Moore JE. Inhibition of contraction strength and frequency by wall shear stress in a single-lymphangion model. J Biomech Eng 2019; 141:2733771. [PMID: 31074761 DOI: 10.1115/1.4043724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The phasic contractions of collecting lymphatic vessels are reduced in strength and occur at diminished frequency when the favourable pressure difference and the resulting antegrade flow create large fluid shear stresses at the luminal surface. This paper describes a minimal phenomenological model of this mechanism, that is applied to a previously validated numerical model of a phasically contracting lymphangion. The parameters of the inhibition model are quantitatively matched to observations in isolated segments of rat lymphatic vessel, first for mesenteric lymphatics then for thoracic duct, and outcomes from the numerical model are then qualitatively compared with recent observations in isolated segments of rat thoracic duct.
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Affiliation(s)
- C D Bertram
- School of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2006
| | - Charles Macaskill
- School of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2006
| | - James E Moore
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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Zawieja SD, Castorena-Gonzalez JA, Dixon B, Davis MJ. Experimental Models Used to Assess Lymphatic Contractile Function. Lymphat Res Biol 2018; 15:331-342. [PMID: 29252142 DOI: 10.1089/lrb.2017.0052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen a renewed interest in studies of the lymphatic system. This review addresses the differences between in vivo and ex vivo methods for visualization and functional studies of lymphatic networks, with an emphasis on studies of collecting lymphatic vessels. We begin with a brief summary of the historical uses of both approaches. For the purpose of detailed comparisons, we subdivide in vivo methods into those visualizing lymphatic networks through the intact skin and those using surgically opened skin. We subdivide ex vivo methods into isobaric studies (using a pressure myograph) or isometric studies (using a wire myograph). For all four categories, we compile a comprehensive list of the advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of each preparation, with the goal of informing the research community as to the appropriate kinds of experiments best suited, and ill suited, for each.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott D Zawieja
- 1 Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri , Columbia, Missouri
| | | | - Brandon Dixon
- 2 George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology , Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Michael J Davis
- 1 Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri , Columbia, Missouri
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Contarino C, Toro EF. A one-dimensional mathematical model of collecting lymphatics coupled with an electro-fluid-mechanical contraction model and valve dynamics. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2018; 17:1687-1714. [PMID: 30006745 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-018-1050-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
We propose a one-dimensional model for collecting lymphatics coupled with a novel Electro-Fluid-Mechanical Contraction (EFMC) model for dynamical contractions, based on a modified FitzHugh-Nagumo model for action potentials. The one-dimensional model for a deformable lymphatic vessel is a nonlinear system of hyperbolic Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). The EFMC model combines the electrical activity of lymphangions (action potentials) with fluid-mechanical feedback (circumferential stretch of the lymphatic wall and wall shear stress) and lymphatic vessel wall contractions. The EFMC model is governed by four Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) and phenomenologically relies on: (1) environmental calcium influx, (2) stretch-activated calcium influx, and (3) contraction inhibitions induced by wall shear stresses. We carried out a stability analysis of the stationary state of the EFMC model. Contractions turn out to be triggered by the instability of the stationary state. Overall, the EFMC model allows emulating the influence of pressure and wall shear stress on the frequency of contractions observed experimentally. Lymphatic valves are modelled by extending an existing lumped-parameter model for blood vessels. Modern numerical methods are employed for the one-dimensional model (PDEs), for the EFMC model and valve dynamics (ODEs). Adopting the geometrical structure of collecting lymphatics from rat mesentery, we apply the full mathematical model to a carefully selected suite of test problems inspired by experiments. We analysed several indices of a single lymphangion for a wide range of upstream and downstream pressure combinations which included both favourable and adverse pressure gradients. The most influential model parameters were identified by performing two sensitivity analyses for favourable and adverse pressure gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eleuterio F Toro
- Laboratory of Applied Mathematics, DICAM, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
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Nizamutdinova IT, Maejima D, Nagai T, Meininger CJ, Gashev AA. Histamine as an Endothelium-Derived Relaxing Factor in Aged Mesenteric Lymphatic Vessels. Lymphat Res Biol 2017; 15:136-145. [PMID: 28453392 PMCID: PMC5488315 DOI: 10.1089/lrb.2016.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge of the mechanisms by which aging affects contracting lymphatic vessels remains incomplete; therefore, the functional role of histamine in the reaction of aged lymphatic vessels to increases in flow remains unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS We measured and analyzed parameters of lymphatic contractility in isolated and pressurized rat mesenteric lymphatic vessels (MLVs) obtained from 9- and 24-month Fischer-344 rats under control conditions and after pharmacological blockade of nitric oxide (NO) by Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME, 100 μM) or/and blockade of histamine production by α-methyl-DL-histidine dihydrochloride (α-MHD, 10 μM). We also quantitatively compared results of immunohistochemical labeling of the histamine-producing enzyme, histidine decarboxylase (HDC) in adult and aged MLVs. Our data provide the first demonstration of an increased functional role of histamine as an endothelial-derived relaxing factor in aged MLVs, which appears in parallel with the abolished role of NO in the reactions of these lymph vessels to increases in flow. In addition, we found an increased expression of HDC in endothelium of aged MLVs. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide the basis for better understanding of the processes of aging in lymphatic vessels and for setting new important directions for investigations of the aging-associated disturbances in lymph flow and the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Tsoy Nizamutdinova
- Department of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Temple, Texas
| | - Daisuke Maejima
- Department of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Temple, Texas
- Department of Physiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Nagai
- Department of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Temple, Texas
- Department of Physiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Cynthia J. Meininger
- Department of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Temple, Texas
| | - Anatoliy A. Gashev
- Department of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Temple, Texas
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Blei F. Update March 2016. Lymphat Res Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1089/lrb.2016.29000.fb] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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