Milasan Andreea, Ledoux Jonathan, Martel Catherine
Montreal Heart Institute, Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Montreal Heart Institute, Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Future Sci OA. 2015 Nov 1;1(4):FSO61. doi: 10.4155/fso.15.61. eCollection 2015 Nov.
The lymphatic system is a key component of tissue fluid homeostasis. In contrast to the closed and high-pressure blood vascular system, the lymphatic vascular system transports lymph in an open and low-pressure network. A prerequisite player in the transport of immune cells and cholesterol metabolism, it has been understudied until recently. Whereas defects in lymph circulation are mostly associated with pathologies such as congenital or acquired lymphedema, emerging significant developments are unraveling the role of lymphatic vessels in other pathological settings. In the last decade, discoveries of underlying genes responsible for developmental and postnatal lymphatic growth, combined with state-of-the-art lymphatic function imaging and quantification techniques, have matched the growing interest in understanding the role of the lymphatic system in atherosclerosis. With a historical perspective, this review highlights the current knowledge regarding interaction between the lymphatic vascular tree and atherosclerosis, with an emphasis on the physiological mechanisms of this multifaceted system throughout disease onset and progression.
淋巴系统是组织液稳态的关键组成部分。与封闭且高压的血液循环系统不同，淋巴循环系统在开放且低压的网络中运输淋巴。作为免疫细胞运输和胆固醇代谢的必要参与者，直到最近它才受到充分研究。虽然淋巴循环缺陷大多与诸如先天性或后天性淋巴水肿等病症相关，但新出现的重大进展正在揭示淋巴管在其他病理情况下的作用。在过去十年中，负责发育和出生后淋巴生长的潜在基因的发现，结合最先进的淋巴功能成像和量化技术，与人们对了解淋巴系统在动脉粥样硬化中作用的日益增长的兴趣相匹配。从历史角度来看，本综述重点介绍了关于淋巴血管树与动脉粥样硬化之间相互作用的当前知识，强调了这个多方面系统在疾病发生和发展过程中的生理机制。
