OPEN INTERFACES IN INITIAL LYMPHATICS: A METHODOLOGICAL ARTIFACT?

Abstract

Castenholz, Hauck, and other authors –including myself–have previously describedinitial lymphatics and the existence of openinterfaces in tongue, mesentery as well as inuterus. These structures were supposed torepresent an additional entrance into theinitial lymphatic pathway and the open interfaceswere proposed to act as pressure reliefvalves in some organs in case of increasedvolumes of tissue fluid. The methodologicalapproaches used by these authors wereinterstitial and retrograde fillings of thelymphatic system, and often an endotheliumlinedstructure was seen connecting initiallymphatics with the interstitial space andending free in connective tissue. Furtherresearch of my group in basic lymphology hasled to new and surprising insights, and wenow demonstrate that most of these so called“open-interfaces” are methodological artifacts.