The Effects And Mechanisms Of Cervical Lymphatic Blockade On Ischemic Brain Trauma

Many studies have demonstrated that the central nervous system (CNS) has not lymphatics lining endothelial cell but exists in lymph drainage. Lymphatic drainage is involved not only in circulating cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), but also in the absorption of macromolecules in the CSF and the interstitial space of the brain. Thus, it is important for the brain in homeostasis of the internal environment, regulating intracranial pressure and maintaining normal physiological functions.At the stage of physiology, the quantity of cerebral lymph fluid maintains a dynamic balance, which is broke in pathological situations such as blood-brain barrier breakup, cranial pressure increase or decrease and cervical diseases resulting in cervical lymphatics blockade to influence on brain physiological functions. So it is very important to keep this dynamic balance. In this study, Evans blue-labeled albumin is used as traces to quantify cerebral lymph drainage and to demonstrate this possible mechanism.Lymph fluid in CNS drains from perineurolymphatics and prelymphatics to extracranial lymphatic system, which plays an important role in maintaining the normal physiological functions of brain and spinal cord. The blocking of this pathway can promote the retention of macromolecular material, such as plasma protein, and then lead to cerebral edema and changes of brain morphology and function, which is called as "lymphostatic encephalopathy" in clinic.