Abstract
BackgroundTo collect lymph draining the lungs provides a useful strategy for tracing pulmonary microvascular fluid and protein biology. A methodology that allows for in vivo sampling of efferent pulmonary lymph in real-time in sheep by cannulating the thoracic duct without entering the thoracic cavity was previously established. To develop a similar thoracic duct cannulation model without thoracotomy in pigs, we investigated the anatomy of the left cervico-thoracic regions of 15 Large White (Yorkshire or Yorkshire-dominated) piglets (aged 4–7 weeks).ResultsThe thoracic duct, together with the left tracheal trunk, joined the cardiovascular system (the ampulla of the thoracic duct) at a site located craniomedial to the first rib on the left in 80 % (12/15) of the piglets.ConclusionsAs the location of the ampulla of the thoracic duct was consistent in most of the piglets, Large White piglets appear to be suitable for the development of a thoracic duct cannulation model without thoracotomy. The anatomical findings in this study will enable the development of further surgical procedures for cannulating the thoracic duct without thoracotomy, with minimal damage to local tissue, and without transecting any major blood vessels, nerves or muscle bellies. The establishment of a thoracic duct cannulation model for collecting in vivo, in situ efferent lymph, including pulmonary lymph, in pigs without entering the thoracic cavity would be invaluable for many immunological studies, studies on pulmonary immune responses in particular.
Highlights
To collect lymph draining the lungs provides a useful strategy for tracing pulmonary microvascular fluid and protein biology
We investigated the anatomy of the thoracic duct where it joins the cardiovascular system, and its relationship to the other major anatomical structures at the thoracic inlet in Large White piglets - a key pig breed usually accessible in the pig industry in Victoria, Australia and a number of other countries in the world
We found that the anatomic positions of the thoracic duct and the left tracheal trunk where they joined the cardiovascular system were quite similar in all 15 of the Large White piglets in this study
Summary
To collect lymph draining the lungs provides a useful strategy for tracing pulmonary microvascular fluid and protein biology. The successful cannulation of the terminal part of the thoracic duct in the left pre-scapular region in sheep was initially described by Kassai et al in 1972 (in Hungarian) [1] In that study, they used the model to study Dictyocaulus filaria infection. In 2009, Yen et al reported another successful preparation of a pulmonary lymph fistula through thoracic duct cannulation without thoracotomy using surgical approaches different to that of Kassai et al [2]. These models provided a strategy for monitoring in vivo, in situ pulmonary pathology and immunobiology in real-time in sheep.
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