Affiliations: Saratov State University, Moscovskaya 155, 410026
Saratov, Russia. Tel.: +7 8452 51 46 93; Fax: +7 8452 24 04 46; E-mail:
galanzha@mail.ru | Saratov State Medical University, Bolshaya Kazachya
112, 410071 Saratov, Russia | Philips Classic Laser Lab, University of Arkansas for
Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205-7199, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author
Abstract: The mechanisms of disturbance of lymph microcirculation during
development postmastectomy lymphedema (PML) are little known. The study of
these mechanisms on human subjects has many difficulties: time of clinical
onset of PML is indefinite and unpredictable and the methods for imaging of
microlymphatics are limited. The advantages of the optical methods, especially,
light microscopy are the high quality of lymphocytes dynamic imaging,
possibility of the determination of absolute lymph flow velocity in a wide
range, capability for simultaneous registration of blood microvessel function
around lymphatics. The experimental lymphedema is created on rat mesentery by
ligation of the collecting vein. It was found that after such ligation edema
was clearly developed, and microcirculation was significantly disturbed
including reduction of lymph flow velocity, constriction of lymphatics,
inhibition of phasic activity on the background of pathological increasing of
blood vessels permeability and stasis of blood flow.
