TY - JOUR
T1 - Dermal collagen and lipid deposition correlate with tissue swelling and hydraulic conductivity in murine primary lymphedema
AU - Rutkowski, Joseph M.
AU - Markhus, Carl Erik
AU - Gyenge, Christina C.
AU - Alitalo, Kari
AU - Wiig, Helge
AU - Swartz, Melody A.
PY - 2010/3
Y1 - 2010/3
N2 - Primary lymphedema is a congenital pathology of dysfunctional lymphatic drainage characterized by swelling of the limbs, thickening of the dermis, and fluid and lipid accumulation in the underlying tissue. Two mouse models of primary lymphedema, the Chy mouse and the K14-VEGFR-3-Ig mouse, both lack dermal lymphatic capillaries and exhibit a lymphedematous phenotype attributable to disrupted VEGFR-3 signaling. Here we show that the differences in edematous tissue composition between these two models correlated with drastic differences in hydraulic conductivity. The skin of Chy mice possessed significantly higher levels of collagen and fat, whereas K14-VEGFR-3-Ig mouse skin composition was relatively normal, as compared with their respective wild-type controls. Functionally, this resulted in a greatly increased dermal hydraulic conductivity in K14-VEGFR3-Ig, but not Chy, mice. Our data suggest that lymphedema associated with increased collagen and lipid accumulation counteracts an increased hydraulic conductivity associated with dermal swelling, which in turn further limits interstitial transport and swelling. Without lipid and collagen accumulation, hydraulic conductivity is increased and overall swelling is minimized. These opposing tissue responses to primary lymphedema imply that tissue remodeling - predominantly collagen and fat deposition - may dictate tissue swelling and govern interstitial transport in lymphedema.
AB - Primary lymphedema is a congenital pathology of dysfunctional lymphatic drainage characterized by swelling of the limbs, thickening of the dermis, and fluid and lipid accumulation in the underlying tissue. Two mouse models of primary lymphedema, the Chy mouse and the K14-VEGFR-3-Ig mouse, both lack dermal lymphatic capillaries and exhibit a lymphedematous phenotype attributable to disrupted VEGFR-3 signaling. Here we show that the differences in edematous tissue composition between these two models correlated with drastic differences in hydraulic conductivity. The skin of Chy mice possessed significantly higher levels of collagen and fat, whereas K14-VEGFR-3-Ig mouse skin composition was relatively normal, as compared with their respective wild-type controls. Functionally, this resulted in a greatly increased dermal hydraulic conductivity in K14-VEGFR3-Ig, but not Chy, mice. Our data suggest that lymphedema associated with increased collagen and lipid accumulation counteracts an increased hydraulic conductivity associated with dermal swelling, which in turn further limits interstitial transport and swelling. Without lipid and collagen accumulation, hydraulic conductivity is increased and overall swelling is minimized. These opposing tissue responses to primary lymphedema imply that tissue remodeling - predominantly collagen and fat deposition - may dictate tissue swelling and govern interstitial transport in lymphedema.
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U2 - 10.2353/ajpath.2010.090733
DO - 10.2353/ajpath.2010.090733
M3 - Article
C2 - 20110415
AN - SCOPUS:77749291801
SN - 0002-9440
VL - 176
SP - 1122
EP - 1129
JO - American Journal of Pathology
JF - American Journal of Pathology
IS - 3
ER -