The lymphatic system is essential for fluid regulation and for the maintenance of host immunity. However, in vivo lymph flow is difficult to track in real time, because of the lack of an appropriate imaging method. In this study, we combined macro-zoom fluorescence microscopy with quantum-dot (Qdot) optical lymphatic imaging to develop an in vivo real-time optical lymphatic imaging method that allows the tracking of lymph through lymphatic channels and into lymph nodes. After interstitial injection of Qdots in a mouse, rapid visualization of the cervical lymphatics and cervical lymph nodes was achieved. Real-time monitoring of the injected Qdots revealed that the cortex of the node enhanced first followed by a net-like pattern in the central portion of the node. Histology revealed that the rim and net-like enhancing regions corresponded to the subcapsular sinuses and medullary sinuses respectively. Additionally, multiplexed two-color real-time lymphatic tracking was performed with two different Qdots. With this real-time imaging system, we successfully tracked microscopic lymphatic flow in vivo. This method could have a potential impact for lymphatic research in visualizing normal or abnormal functional lymphatic flows.

中文翻译：

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使用量子点光学成像在小鼠体内实时淋巴引流。

淋巴系统对于体液调节和宿主免疫力的维持至关重要。然而，由于缺乏合适的成像方法，体内淋巴流动难以实时追踪。在这项研究中，我们将宏观变焦荧光显微镜与量子点 (Qdot) 光学淋巴成像相结合，开发了一种体内实时光学淋巴成像方法，允许通过淋巴通道跟踪淋巴并进入淋巴结。在小鼠体内注射 Qdots 后，颈部淋巴管和颈部淋巴结的快速可视化得以实现。对注入的 Qdots 的实时监测显示，节点的皮层首先增强，然后在节点的中央部分出现网状图案。组织学显示边缘和网状增强区分别对应于包膜下窦和髓质窦。此外，还使用两个不同的 Qdots 进行了多路双色实时淋巴跟踪。使用这种实时成像系统，我们成功地跟踪了体内的微观淋巴流动。这种方法可能对可视化正常或异常功能性淋巴流动的淋巴研究产生潜在影响。