Disturbances of mesenteric lymph flow and in vivo intestinal lymphocyte trafficking during early gut injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion in rats.

We sought to define the role of mesenteric lymph in the generation of remote organ damage at the early stage of gut ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. The measurement of mesenteric lymph flow was carried out by cannulation of mesenteric lymphatics. The distribution of in vivo intestinal lymphocyte trafficking was performed by 51Cr labeled lymphocyte and measurement of 51Cr-lymphocytes distribution by gamma-counter. Endotoxin concentration was assayed using the limulus test kit and TNF-alpha level was detected by ELISA. After gut I/R injury, the volumes of lymph flow in mesenteric lymphatics per hour were sharply decreased by 72% and the number of intestinal lymphocytes per milliliter was decreased by 61%, which led to the intestinal lymphocyte output per hour significantly decreased by 90% (predominantly T cells), while the population of 51Cr-lymphocytes in Peyer's patches, small intestine (except Peyer's patches), mesenteric nodes, large intestine, and stomach increased by 87%, 191%, 87%, 266%, 262%, respectively. Meanwhile, endotoxin and TNF-alpha levels in mesenteric lymph were significantly increased. These findings demonstrate the marked disorders of mesenteric lymph flow and in vivo intestinal lymphocytes migration and the accompanying increase of endotoxin and TNF-alpha levels in mesenteric lymph in the early stage of gut I/R injury.