F. Ikomi et al., INTRACELLULAR AND EXTRACELLULAR TRANSPORT OF PERFLUORO CARBON EMULSION FROM SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUE TO REGIONAL LYMPHATICS, Artificial cells, blood substitutes, and immobilization biotechnology, 22(4), 1994, pp. 1441-1447
The aim of this study was to examine the transport mechanism of colloi
dal particles from subcutaneous tissue to lymphatics. The mechanism of
lymph transport was studied in leg prenodal lymphatics of anesthetize
d rabbits using Imagent(R)LN (60%W/V perfluorooctyl bromide [PFOB] emu
lsion). Extracellular (dispersed particles) and intracellular (phagocy
tosed particles by macrophages) PFOB transport was measured in lymph f
luid after 0.1 ml injectipn of fluorescently labeled PFOB emulsion int
o the dorsal skin of the rabbits foot. Samples were collected from can
nulated lower leg prenodal lymphatics. Particles of PFOB emulsion were
observed by using a fluorescent technique. The foot/leg were moved pa
ssively in a rotary direction at 0.3 Hz. Extracellular and intracellul
ar PFOB could be determined in the lymph samples. These findings indic
ate that both intracellular and extracellular transport mechanisms pla
y a role in the uptake of colloidal particles from interstitial tissue
to lymphatics.