title: Experimental study of lymph node auto-transplantation in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the restoration of structure and function of auto-transplanted lymph nodes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inguinal lymph nodes in Spregue-Dawley (SD) rats were auto-transplanted by free implantation, or with an intact vascular pedicle, or by free transplantation with microvascular anastomosis, to the popliteal fossa where lymph nodes were removed. The observation methods included emission computerized tomographic (ECT) scanning, staining of China ink and methylthionine chloride to observe the histological changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After four weeks, these vascularized nodes showed normal histological appearances and spontaneously reestablished afferent and efferent lymphatic reconnection with the surrounding lymphatic vessels. ECT lymphoscintigraphy with 99mTc-Dx showed that vascularized lymph nodes had restored their normal function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vascularized lymph node transplantation is a useful method for draining extremity lymph edema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Can
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007264:Inguinal Canal; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000637:transplantation*; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013667:Technetium; D013848:Thigh / Q000601:surgery; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D013667:Technetium