title: [Lymphatic circulation and active motion of the lymphatics].
abstract: One of the important roles of the lymphatic system is the prevention of edema. Lymphatic contractility plays crucial roles in the regulation and generation of lymph transport. A number of studies both in situ and in vitro have clearly demonstrated that lymphatic vessels possess both tonic and phasic changes in contractility. It also has been shown that human lymphatic contractility can be influenced by a number of neural and humoral factors such as noradrenaline, histamine, and prostaglandin F2alpha. This review focuses chiefly on the function of the system and emphasizes recent advances in understanding the lymphatic pump and the factors on the contractions of the lymph vessels.
authors.affiliation: Hirota Internal Medicine Clinic.
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirota
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008196:Lymph / Q000502:physiology*; D008208:Lymphatic System / Q000502:physiology