Diphtheria toxin-mediated ablation of lymphatic endothelial cells results in progressive lymphedema Journal Article


Authors: Gardenier, J. C.; Hespe, G. E.; Kataru, R. P.; Savetsky, I. L.; Torrisi, J. S.; García Nores, G. D.; Dayan, J. J.; Chang, D.; Zampell, J.; Martínez-Corral, I.; Ortega, S.; Mehrara, B. J.
Article Title: Diphtheria toxin-mediated ablation of lymphatic endothelial cells results in progressive lymphedema
Abstract: Development of novel treatments for lymphedema has been limited by the fact that the pathophysiology of this disease is poorly understood. It remains unknown, for example, why limb swelling resulting from surgical injury resolves initially, but recurs in some cases months or years later. Finding answers for these basic questions has been hampered by the lack of adequate animal models. In the current study, we used Cre-lox mice that expressed the human diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR) driven by a lymphatic-specific promoter in order to noninvasively ablate the lymphatic system of the hind limb. Animals treated in this manner developed lymphedema that was indistinguishable from clinical lymphedema temporally, radiographically, and histologically. Using this model and clinical biopsy specimens, we show that the initial resolution of edema after injury is dependent on the formation of collateral capillary lymphatics and that this process is regulated by M2-polarized macrophages. In addition, we show that despite these initial improvements in lymphatic function, persistent accumulation of CD4(+) cells inhibits lymphangiogenesis and promotes sclerosis of collecting lymphatics, resulting in late onset of edema and fibrosis. Our findings therefore provide strong evidence that inflammatory changes after lymphatic injury play a key role in the pathophysiology of lymphedema.
Keywords: inflammation; lymphangiogenesis; breast-cancer; node dissection; growth-factor; vessels; secondary lymphedema; tissue fibrosis; clodronate liposomes; cd11b(+) macrophages
Journal Title: JCI Insight
Volume: 1
Issue: 15
ISSN: 2379-3708
Publisher: Amer Soc Clinical Investigation Inc  
Date Published: 2016-09-22
Start Page: e84095
Language: English
ACCESSION: WOS:000387123200001
DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.84095
PROVIDER: wos
PMCID: PMC5033805
PUBMED: 27699240
Notes: Article -- Source: Wos
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MSK Authors
  1. Babak Mehrara
    448 Mehrara
  2. Jamie Christine Zampell
    29 Zampell
  3. Jeremy   Torrisi
    27 Torrisi
  4. Geoffrey Eckerson Hespe
    23 Hespe
  5. Raghu Prasad Kataru
    60 Kataru
  6. Joseph Henry Dayan
    100 Dayan