Microscopic nodes and ducts inside lymphatics and on the surface of internal organs are rich in granulocytes and secretory granules
Highlights
► Microscopic nodes and ducts exist inside lymph vessels and on the surface of organ. ► The nodes and ducts are covered by a layer of epithelium and endothelium. ► The nodes contain immune cells, enriched with granulocytes and histiocytes. ► The nodes also contain chromaffin cells. ► Secretory granules appear to pass along the ducts.
Introduction
In the early 1960s Bonghan Kim published several papers describing a previously-unrecognized circulatory system which he claimed represented “Kyungrak” and “Kyunghyul” [1], [2], [3]. Kyungrak are believed to be acupuncture meridians, a fine network connecting the viscera and limbs with deep and superficial layers of the body. Kim claimed that the Kuyngrak consisted of ducts through which hyaluronic acid-rich liquid flowed, and that the Kyunghyuls (acupuncture points) were “corpuscles” connected by the ducts. He named the acupuncture points Bonghan corpuscles (BHC), the interconnecting ducts Bonghan ducts (BHD) and the fluid flowing inside the ducts Bonghan liquor (BHL). BHDs were said to start from the superficial (s) BHC, enter the body, run along the blood vessels through skin and muscle layers, and branch off to the relevant organs, eventually joining with the profound (p) BHD. The ducts passing outside blood and lymph vessels were named “extravascular BHD,” and those floating within the vessels were named “intravascular BHD”. Each BHD was formed by a bundle of two or more ductules, unlike the vessels of the two well-established circulatory systems. BHDs were interconnected to form a circulatory system, and the BHL thus circulated through a closed system of BHDs. Soh [4] confirmed the existence of BHC and BHD inside vessels [5], [6], and on the surface of organs [7], [8] as well as inside the brain and heart [9], [10]. They renamed the Bonghan vascular system (BVS) the primo vascular system (PVS). Although initially skeptical, we have duplicated some of Soh and Kim’s work and determined the immunohistochemical properties of the node and duct system and the possible roles of resident cells in the nodes, especially those on the surfaces of internal organs.
Section snippets
Collection of BHC/D
Sprague–Dawley (SD) and Lewis rats were anesthetized by i.m. injection of Zoletil (20 mg/kg) and Rompun (4 mg/kg); an incision was made along the abdominal linea alba and BHC/D were located between the anterior wall and the small intestine or liver while the abdominal wall was carefully lifted. To collect intralymphatic BHC/D, the lumbar lymph trunk beside the inferior vena cava was located, and a small amount of 1% alcian blue was injected into one of the lumbar lymph nodes. A blue line formed
BHC/D inside lymphatics and on organ surfaces
When we injected one percent alcian blue dye into a rat lumbar lymph node, only BHC/D were stained and they formed blue lines inside clear lymphatics (Fig. 1a and b). BHC/D could be observed between the abdominal wall and the surface of the liver or intestine when the abdominal wall of an anesthetized rat was carefully lifted (Fig. 1c and d). The BHC/D collected from lymph vessel had the typical node and duct structure, and the shapes of nodes varied (Fig. 1e). Because alcian blue stains
Author contributions
B.S.K. designed, demonstrated and supervised the experiments and wrote the manuscript. C.M.H. performed the immunohistochemical experiments. S.S.Y. performed the experiments involving nucleic acids. B.C.L. performed the experiments on intralymphatic BHC/D. J.Y.R. performed light microscopic analyses of WG and H&E-stained specimens. S.H.H. collected BHC/D, and performed immunostaining and other assays.
Acknowledgments
We thank Drs. Kwang S. Soh and Jea S. Ko for numerous discussions about the BHV and concerning histological interpretations. This research was supported by grants from National Research Foundation of Korea (0031427 and 0027802) and National Cancer Center, Korea (NCC1210370-1 and NCC1130720-1).
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