1. Figure 5 Intestinal lymph draining pattern and contents
Figure 5 | Intestinal lymph draining pattern and contents. Lymph composition draining to the mesenteric lymph node varies as different parts of the intestine absorb or transport different molecules. For example, lymph from duodenum or jejunum will contain substantially more chylomicrons, glucose, fat-soluble vitamins and metabolites than lymph from the colon. The colon harbours the majority of gut bacteria and colonic lymph might be especially high in commensal microbiota products. Enteroendocrine cells in the ileum, caecum and colon secrete glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1), which is found at higher concentrations in intestinal lymph than plasma following feeding. CD103+ dendritic cells (DCs) are continuously migrating to the mesenteric lymph node via lymphatic vessels from all intestinal regions, whereas subset 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) migrate solely from the small intestine. From the mesenteric lymph node, lymph flows to distended, sac-like structures at the beginning of the intestinal end of the thoracic duct called the cisterna chyli. Lymph is then transported to the thoracic duct and the jugular vein, and after passing through the heart and lungs, travels all over the body before entering the liver. Substances absorbed by the blood capillaries are drained directly to the liver through the portal vein. Substances absorbed in lymph avoid first-pass metabolism in the liver, making the lymphatic system an attractive target for systemic drug delivery (Box 4). See Box 2 for more detailed description of lymph drainage patterns from intestine. Permission obtained from Nature Publishing Group © Mowat, A. M. & Agace, W. W. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 14, 667–685 (2014).
Permission obtained from Nature Publishing Group © Mowat, A. M. & Agace, W. W. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 14, 667–685 (2014)
Bernier-Latmani, J. & Petrova, T. V. (2017) Intestinal lymphatic vasculature: structure, mechanisms and functions
Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. doi: /nrgastro