title: Comparison of Alcian Blue, Trypan Blue, and Toluidine Blue for Visualization of the Primo Vascular System Floating in Lymph Ducts.
abstract: The primo vascular system (PVS), floating in lymph ducts, was too transparent to be observed by using a stereomicroscope. It was only detectable with the aid of staining dyes, for instance, Alcian blue, which was injected into the lymph nodes. Some dyes were absorbed preferentially by the PVS than the lymph wall. It remains a standing problem to know what dyes are absorbed better by the PVS than the lymph walls. Such information would be useful to unravel the biochemical properties of the PVS that are badly in need for obtaining large amount of PVS specimens. In the current work we tried two other familiar dyes which were used in PVS research before. We found that Trypan blue and toluidine blue did not visualize the PVS. Trypan blue was cleared by the natural washing. Toluidine blue did not stain the PVS, but it did leave stained spots in the lymph wall and its surrounding tissues, and it leaked out of the lymph wall to stain surrounding connective tissues. These completely different behaviors of the three dyes were found for the first time in the current work and provide valuable information to elucidate the mechanism through which some special dyes stained the PVS preferentially compared to the lymphatic wall.
authors.affiliation: Nano Primo Research Center, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon 443-270, Republic of Korea ; College of Physical Education, The University of Suwon, Hwaseong 445-743, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Da-Un
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Nano Primo Research Center, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon 443-270, Republic of Korea ; College of Physical Education, The University of Suwon, Hwaseong 445-743, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Nano Primo Research Center, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon 443-270, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sharon Jiyoon
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Nano Primo Research Center, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon 443-270, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Nano Primo Research Center, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon 443-270, Republic of Korea ; College of Physical Education, The University of Suwon, Hwaseong 445-743, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: Department of Cosmetology, Hanseo University, Seosan 356-706, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Nano Primo Research Center, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon 443-270, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang-Sup
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Soh