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An Image-Based Model of Fluid Flow Through Lymph Nodes

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Abstract

The lymphatic system returns fluid to the bloodstream from the tissues to maintain tissue fluid homeostasis. Lymph nodes distributed throughout the system filter the lymphatic fluid. The afferent and efferent lymph flow conditions of lymph nodes can be measured in experiments; however, it is difficult to measure the flow within the nodes. In this paper, we present an image-based modelling approach to investigating how the internal structure of the node affects the fluid flow pathways within the node. Selective plane illumination microscopy images of murine lymph nodes are used to identify the geometry and structure of the tissue within the node and to determine the permeability of the lymph node interstitium to lymphatic fluid. Experimental data are used to determine boundary conditions and optimise the parameters for the model. The numerical simulations conducted within the model are implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics, a commercial finite element analysis software. The parameter fitting resulted in the estimate that the average permeability for lymph node tissue is of the order of magnitude of \(10^{-11}\hbox { m}^{2}\). Our modelling shows that the flow predominantly takes a direct path between the afferent and efferent lymphatics and that fluid is both filtered and absorbed across the blood vessel boundaries. The amount that is absorbed or extravasated in the model is dependent on the efferent lymphatic lumen fluid pressure.

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Notes

  1. A commercial 3D image analysis software http://www.fei.com/software/avizo3d/.

  2. A free, open-source image processing package: http://fiji.sc/Fiji.

  3. A commercial finite element software: http://www.comsol.com/.

  4. A commercial software from Simpleware: https://simpleware.com/software/scanip/.

  5. An extrinsic value that is a property of the porous media, independent of the fluid.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Jürgen Mayer [EMBL/CRG Systems Biology Research Unit, Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and UPF, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain] who provided the lymph node images. L.J.C. was funded partially by a Ph.D. studentship awarded by the Institute of Life Sciences and supplemented with a studentship awarded by the Faculty of Engineering and the Environment at the University of Southampton. The authors acknowledge the use of the IRIDIS High Performance Computing Facility and the \(\upmu \)-VIS Centre for computed tomography, at the University of Southampton in the completion of this work. Data supporting this study are available from the University of Southampton repository at http://dx.doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/384621.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK

    Laura J. Cooper, James P. Heppell, Bharathram Ganapathisubramani & Tiina Roose

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK

    Geraldine F. Clough

  3. Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    Laura J. Cooper, Geraldine F. Clough, Bharathram Ganapathisubramani & Tiina Roose

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  1. Laura J. Cooper
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  2. James P. Heppell
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  3. Geraldine F. Clough
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  4. Bharathram Ganapathisubramani
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  5. Tiina Roose
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Correspondence to Laura J. Cooper.

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Cooper, L.J., Heppell, J.P., Clough, G.F. et al. An Image-Based Model of Fluid Flow Through Lymph Nodes. Bull Math Biol 78, 52–71 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11538-015-0128-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11538-015-0128-y

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