An image based model of fluid flow through lymph nodes

Abstract

The lymphatic system returns fluid to the blood stream from the tissues to maintain tissue fluid homeostasis. Lymph nodes distributed throughout the system filter the lymphatic fluid. The afferent and efferent lymph flow conditions of lymph nodes can be measured in experiments, however it is difficult to measure the flow within the nodes. In this paper we present an image based modelling approach to investigate how the internal structure of the node affects the fluid flow pathways within the node. Selective plane illumination microscopy images of murine lymph nodes are used to identify the geometry and structure of the tissue within the node and to determine the permeability of the lymph node interstitium to lymphatic fluid. Experimental data are used to determine boundary conditions and optimise the parameters for the model. The numerical simulations conducted within the model are implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics, a commercial finite element analysis software. The parameter fitting resulted in the estimate that the average permeability for lymph node tissue is of the order of magnitude of 10-11 m239 . Our modelling shows that the flow predominantly takes a direct path between the afferent and efferent lymphatics and that fluid is both filtered and absorbed across the blood vessel boundaries. The amount that is absorbed or extravasated in the model is dependent on the efferent lymphatic lumen fluid pressure.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Laura Cooper: orcid.org/0000-0003-0198-7591

ORCID for Geraldine Clough: orcid.org/0000-0002-6226-8964

ORCID for Bharathram Ganapathisubramani: orcid.org/0000-0001-9817-0486

ORCID for Tiina Roose: orcid.org/0000-0001-8710-1063

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