Lymphatic pump function in the inflamed gut.

**Editor's Note:  I am including this brief article on inflammation and the intestinal regions as IL causes a tremendous amount of inflammation, as does lymphedema.  This describes what transpires during that inflammation. Pat**

Oct 2010

Von Der Weid PY, Rehal S.

Source

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Inflammation Research Network and Smooth Muscle Research Group, Snyder Institute of Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. vonderwe@ucalgary.ca

Abstract

The role of the lymphatic circulation to actively remove fluid, cells, proteins, and other particles from the interstitium to prevent mounting edema is well appreciated, but whether and how this function is compromised during inflammation has been scarcely investigated. We discuss here the mechanisms of lymphatic pumping and their modulation in inflammatory conditions or by inflammatory mediators in the context of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an ensemble of disorders typically described with abnormal or dysfunctional intestinal or mesenteric lymphatic vessels. We report our findings showing impaired mesenteric lymphatic contractile activity in an animal model of intestinal inflammation that recapitulates some features of IBD and suggests a role for prostanoids in this dysfunction. With the knowledge that prostaglandin E(2) and prostacyclin are implicated in IBD pathogenesis and induce a potent inhibition of lymphatic pumping, we established the pharmacological profile for these prostaglandin receptors in mesenteric lymphatic vessels and their respective role in pumping inhibition. Inhibition of mesenteric lymphatic pumping during inflammation may be a cause of edema, compromised immune response, and granuloma associated with IBD.

Wiley Online

Edema and protein-losing enteropathy (lymphangiectasia) complicating chronic constrictive pericarditis associated with an ascending aortic aneurysm

Edema and protein-losing enteropathy complicating chronic constrictive pericarditis associated with an ascending aortic aneurysm

**Here is an interesting abstract showing how swelling (ab edema) from pericarditis will trigger protein losing enteropathy (dilation of intestinal lymphatics/protein lose)**

Presse Med. 2007 Nov 5
Article in French]

Lesaffre F, Sandras R, Saade YA, Duval S, Metz D.Département de cardiologie et pathologies vasculaires, CHU de Reims, Hôpital Robert Debré, Avenue du Général Koenig, F-51100 Reims, France.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic constrictive pericarditis is suspected on clinical and echocardiographic grounds. Its treatment is surgical.

CASE: We report here the case of a 45-year-old man, admitted for edema characteristic of lymphatic obstruction. Examination revealed ascending aorta ectasia, associated with chronic constrictive pericarditis. Measurement of alpha-1 antitrypsin clearance confirmed protein-losing enteropathy. Total recovery followed pericardectomy and aneurysm resection.

DISCUSSION: The clinical edema in this case was due to several phenomena: protein-losing enteropathy from a functional lymphatic overload, induced by chronic constrictive pericarditis and by compression of the right atrium and vena cava by an aortic aneurysm. The hypoalbuminemia induced by protein loss may also magnify edema. An association between chronic constrictive pericarditis and ascending aortic aneurysm is uncommon. No cause for this association was found.

PMID: 17988828 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]