Composition of the Extracellular Matrix of Lymphatic Novel Threadlike Structures: Is It Keratin?
Figure 1
Stereoscopic images of a novel threadlike structure (NTS) in a rabbit lymphatic vessel: (a) contrast-enhanced optical image, (b) alcian blue-stained image. (a) The outermost wall of the lymphatic vessel is indicated by solid black lines (exposed portion) and dotted lines (embedded in fat). The contrast-enhanced NTS (arrows) is freely movable within the lymphatic vessel of the anesthetized rabbit (see movie in Supplementary Material available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/195631). (b) NTS visualized after injection of alcian blue into the rabbit lymphatic vessel. The NTS (arrows) is floating inside the lymphatic vessel, indicated by black lines as in (a). Note the 2 branch points (red asterisks) within the lymphatic vessel. Scale bars in (a) and (b) are 100 μm and 200 μm, respectively.
