Ultrastructure of a Mobile Threadlike Tissue Floating in a Lymph Vessel

Jung, Sharon Jiyoon,Gil, HyunJi,Kim, Dong-Hyun,Kim, Hong-Lim,Kim, Sungchul,Soh, Kwang-Sup Hindawi Publishing Corporation 2016 Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medic Vol.2016 No.-

<P>Observations of the primo vascular system (PVS) floating in lymph ducts were reported by various groups. There have been, however, no studies on the ultrastructure of the entire cross section of a primo vessel (PV) inside a lymph vessel with a transmission electron microscope (TEM). In the current study we took the TEM images of a cross section of the PV inside a lymph vessel. We used the Alcian blue staining method for the finding of the target PV in a lymphatic vessel by injecting the dye into the inguinal lymph nodes. The stained PV was harvested together with the lymph vessel and some parts of the specimens were used for studying with optical microscopes. Some other parts were treated according to a standard protocol for TEM. As the results the TEM study revealed the loosely distributed collagen fibers with plenty of empty spaces and the lumens with the endothelial nuclei. It turned out to be very similar to the ultrastructure of the PVs observed on the surfaces of internal organs. It also showed how compactly the PV is surrounded with lymphocytes. In conclusion, the detailed morphological features like the distribution of fibers in the PV were revealed and shown to be similar to another kind of the PV on the surfaces of internal organs.</P>

Protocol for the Observation of the Primo Vascular System in the Lymph Vessels of Rabbits

JUNG SHARON JIYOON,Kyoung-Hee Bae,Sang Yeon Cho,Sun Hee Hwang,이병천,김성철,권병세,Hee Min Kwon,송윤규,소광섭 사단법인약침학회 2012 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.5 No.5

Molecular-level understanding of the structure and the functions of the lymphatic system has greatly enhanced the importance of this second circulation system, especially in connection with cancer metastasis and inflammation. Recently, a third circulatory system, the primo vascular system (PVS) was found in various parts of an animal’s body, especially as threadlike structures floating in the lymphatic flow in lymph vessels. Although the medical significance of this emerging system will require much work in the future, at present, several important suggestions in connection with immune cells, stem cells, and cancer metastasis have already appeared. Experiments to observe the PVS in the lymph vessels near the caudal vena cava of rabbits and rats have been performed by several independent teams, but reproduction requires considerable skill and technical know-how. In this article, we provide a detailed protocol to detect the PVS inside the lymph vessels of a rabbit. Detection and isolation are the first steps in unraveling the physiological functions of the PVS, which awaits intensive research.

Visualization of the Primo Vascular System Afloat in a Lymph Duct

JUNG SHARON JIYOON,이승환,배경희,권희민,송윤규,소광섭 사단법인약침학회 2014 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.7 No.6

Because of the potential roles of the primo vascular system (PVS) in cancer metastasis, immune function, and regeneration, understanding the molecular biology of the PVS is desirable. The current state of PVS research is comparable to that of lymph research prior to the advent of Lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1 (LYVE-1). There is very little knowledge of the molecular biology of the PVS due to difficulties in identifying and isolating primo endothelial cells. Present investigations rely on the morphology and the use of differential staining procedures to identify the PVS within tissues, making detailed molecular studies all but impossible. To overcome such difficulties, one may emulate the explosive development of lymph molecular biology. For this purpose, there is a need for a reliable method to obtain PVS specimens to initiate the molecular investi- gation. One of the most reliable methods is to detect the primo vessels and primo nodes afloat in the lymph flow. The protocols for observation of the PVS in the large lymph ducts in the abdominal cavity and the thoracic cavity were reported earlier. These methods require a laparectomy and skillful techniques. In this work, we present a protocol to iden- tify and harvest PVS specimens from the lymph ducts connecting the inguinal and the axil- lary nodes, which are located entirely in the skin. Thus, the PVS specimen is more easily obtainable. This method is a stepping-stone toward development of a system to monitor migration of cancer cells in metastasis from a breast tumor to the axillary nodes, where cancer cells use the PVS as a survival rope in hostile lymph flow.

Primo Vascular System Floating in Lymph Ducts of Rats

JUNG SHARON JIYOON,배경희,남민호,권희민,송윤규,소광섭 사단법인약침학회 2013 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.6 No.6

An epoch-making development in the gross anatomy of the lymph system has emerged: the observation of the primo vascular system (PVS), which is a threadlike structure floating in lymph ducts. The PVS, which was proposed as the conduit for the acupuncture Qi, is a complex network distributed throughout an animal's body. The lymph-PVS, which is a subsystem of the PVS, is one of the most convincing visual demonstrations of the PVS. Because its existence is not easily demonstrated, even with a microscope, due to its transparency, in current anatomy its existence is largely unknown despite its potential significance in physiology and medicine. The lymph-PVS has been observed in rabbits, rats, and mice by several independent teams. Because the involved techniques are rather complicated, we provide detailed protocols for surgery, for injection of the staining dye, and for detection, extraction, and identification of the PVS in a rat.

Distribution of Mast Cells and Locations, Depths, and Sizes of the Putative Acupoints CV 8 and KI 16

Jung, Sharon Jiyoon,Song, Haim,Kim, Yu Yeon,Kim, Jungdae,Kim, Sungchul,Song, Yoon-Kyu,Soh, Kwang-Sup Hindawi 2017 Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medic Vol.2017 No.-

<P>The anatomical locations and sizes of acupuncture points (APs) are identified in traditional Chinese medicine by using the cun measurement method. More precise knowledge of those locations and sizes to submillimeter precision, along with their cytological characterizations, would provide significant contributions both to scientific investigations and to precise control of the practice of acupuncture. Over recent decades, researchers have come to realize that APs in the skin of rats and humans have more mast cells (MCs) than neighboring nonacupoints. In this work, the distribution of MCs in the ventral skin of mice was studied so that it could be used to infer the locations, depths from the epidermis, and sizes of three putative APs. The umbilicus was taken as the reference point, and a transversal cross section through it was studied. The harvested skins from 8-week-old mice were stained with toluidine blue, and the MCs were recognized by their red-purple stains and their metachromatic granules. The three putative APs, CV 8 and the left and the right KI 16 APs, were identified based on their high densities of MCs. These findings also imply that acupuncture may stimulate, through MCs, an immune response to allergic inflammation.</P>

Protocol for Detecting the Primo Vascular System in the Lymph Ducts of Mice

박수연,JUNG SHARON JIYOON,배경희,소광섭 사단법인약침학회 2015 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.8 No.6

The primo vascular system (PVS), which is the proposed conduit for the acupuncture Qi, is a complex network distributed throughout an animal's body. However, even with a microscope, it is not easily detectable because of its transparency. Thus, its existence is largely unknown in current anatomy. A convincing demonstration of its existence is needed. The lymph-primo vessel (PV), which is a subsystem of the PVS, is a very effective visual demonstration of the PVS. The lymph-PVS is a mobile threadlike structure floating in lymph ducts that has been observed in rabbits, rats, and mice by several independent teams. The involved techniques are novel and rather complicated; therefore, we have already provided detailed protocols for the surgery; for the injection of the staining dye; and for the detection, extraction, and identification of the PVS in rabbits and rats. However, the mouse is one of the most important laboratory animals used for various biomedical research purposes. For the convenience of researchers who wish to initiate the PVS experiments in mice, we provide a shortened version of the protocol, despite many similarities with previously published protocols. Thus, researcher can easily obtain the samples of the lymph-PVS of mice.

A Novel Fibrous Duct Structure Discovered in the Brain Meninges by Using Polarized Light Microscopy

Min-Ho Nam,Sharon Jiyoon Jung,Kwang-Sup Soh,Jaekwan Lim,서은석,Jun Lim,Miok Baek,Sang Joon Lee 한국물리학회 2016 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.68 No.10

We have previously reported the discovery of a novel fibrous structure (NFS) consisting of unidirectionally arranged collagen fibers in the spinal pia mater. Due to its unique structure, it was easily detected using polarized light microscopy. In the current study, we describe the discovery of a similar NFS in the brain meninges of rats by using polarized light microscopy. This NFS is located beneath the superior sagittal sinus. Initially, we systemically analyzed the polarization properties of the NFS. The change in the light intensity of the NFS, with respect to the polarization angle, was eight times greater than that of blood vessels, showing that the collagen fibers are oriented in a particular direction with almost perfect parallelism (0.99). The orientation angle of the polarization ellipse confirmed the orientation of the collagen fibers in the NFS. Histological studies further confirmed that the unidirectionally arranged collagen fibers were responsible for this distinct polarization property. Surprisingly, X-ray microtomography and 3D confocal imaging revealed that the NFS contains within it a duct structure, a putative primo vessel. In conclusion, we report a NFS in the brain meninges, detected by using polarized light microscopy, that provides space for a putative primo vessel, not a blood vessel.

Isolation and Morphological Features of Primo Vessels in Rabbit Lymph Vessels

노영일,이상석,Minsuk Rho,유영민,Sharon Jiyoon Jung 사단법인약침학회 2012 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.5 No.5

Until now, even though intensive research has been dedicated to the primo vascular system (PVS) during these years, no statistical data on primo vessels and primo vessels in lymph flow have been available. Recently, the general morphological features of primo vessels in lymph vessels around the abdominal aorta were identified from microdissections of tissues from New Zealand White rabbits, and with Alcian blue staining, primo vessels in lymphatic vessels could be definitely identified under a digital microscope. The micro-dissected specimens in situ reveal rod-shaped nuclei stained by Acridine orange. The blue-stained nuclei, which were distributed in a broken-lined stripe, formed a tube structure of about 20 mm in diameter. The distance between the nuclei of two cells on neighboring aligned stripes, which is also the diameter of the micro tube, was measured to be about 5w10mm. The average length of the primo vessels was 2.4 mm, with the longest being 5.6 mm. The average size of the primo vessel was 50 mm, and the average diameters of the primo and the lymph vessels were 26.0 mmand 258.5 mm, respectively. Occasionally, without the use of Alcian blue staining,milk-white transparent primo vessels were observed floating in lymph vessels. Thus, we suggest that the PVS might also have an important function connected with the lymph system. We also expect the traditional Korean meridian system to leave its invisible world during the last thousands of years and soon enter the visible scientific world.