These data demonstrate that renal lymphatics play a key role in immune cell trafficking in the kidney and blood pressure regulation in hypertension.

Lymphangiogenesis is a recognized hallmark of inflammatory processes in tissues and organs as diverse as the skin, heart, bowel, and airways. In clinical and animal models wherein the signaling processes of lymphangiogenesis are manipulated, most studies demonstrate that an expanded lymphatic vasculature is necessary for the resolution of inflammation. The fundamental roles that lymphatics play in fluid clearance and immune cell trafficking from the periphery make these results seemingly obvious as a mechanism of alleviating locally inflamed environments: the lymphatics are simply providing a drain. Depending on the tissue site, lymphangiogenic mechanism, or induction timeframe, however, evidence shows that inflammation-associated lymphangiogenesis (IAL) may worsen the pathology. Recent studies have identified lymphatic endothelial cells themselves to be local regulators of immune cell activity and its consequential phenotypes – a more active role in inflammation regulation than previously thought. Indeed, results focusing on the immunocentric roles of peripheral lymphatic function have revealed that the basic drainage task of lymphatic vessels is a complex balance of locally processed and transported antigens as well as interstitial cytokine and immune cell signaling: an interplay that likely defines the function of IAL. This review will summarize the latest findings on how IAL impacts a series of disease states in various tissues in both preclinical models and clinical studies. This discussion will serve to highlight some emerging areas of lymphatic research in an attempt to answer the question relevant to an array of scientists and clinicians of whether IAL helps to fuel or extinguish inflammation. Impact statement Inflammatory progression is present in acute and chronic tissue pathologies throughout the body. Lymphatic vessels play physiological roles relevant to all medical fields as important regulators of fluid balance, immune cell trafficking, and immune identity. Lymphangiogenesis is often concurrent with inflammation and can potentially aide or worsen disease progression. How new lymphatic vessels impact inflammation and by which mechanism is an important consideration in current and future clinical therapies targeting inflammation and/or vasculogenesis. This review identifies, across a range of tissue-specific pathologies, the current understanding of inflammation-associated lymphangiogenesis in the progression or resolution of inflammation.

In a retrospective case series of 10 children with cryptogenic FIRES, we sought to describe the early clinical course and potential biomarkers following anakinra initiation. Six children achieved anesthetic withdrawal within 3 weeks of therapy and one in week four. Of the available cEEG (six children), CRP (10 children), and serum cytokine (six children) studies, there were temporal changes in highly epileptiform bursts (observed in three children), CRP, IL‐6, and IL‐10 levels that might parallel clinical progression. These observations may represent candidate biomarkers for monitoring clinical progression and therapeutic interventions including anakinra, which merits further investigation in future studies.

Salt-sensitive hypertension (SSHTN) is associated with renal immune cell infiltration and interstitial inflammation. Lymphatic vessels drain the interstitial compartment and traffic immune cells to draining lymph nodes; however little is known about the role of lymphatics and immune cell trafficking in the kidney during SSHTN. Our hypotheses were that renal lymphatic vessel density is increased in mice with SSHTN and that further augmenting renal lymphatic vessels will prevent SSHTN. SSHTN mice were made by administering L-NAME for two weeks, followed by a two week washout, and then were fed a 4% high salt diet for three weeks. Compared to control mice, mice with SSHTN (SBP: 103±3 vs. 136±2 mmHg; p<0.05) had markedly increased renal lymphatic vessel density. Kidneys of SSHTN mice had significantly increased gene expression of the lymphatic vessel marker Lyve1 , the macrophage marker Adgre1 (F4/80), the Th1 cell marker Tbx21 , and the pro-inflammatory cytokine Il6 while expression of the immune cell-lymphatic chemokine receptor Ccr7 was decreased significantly. Mice solely fed a 4% salt diet for three weeks did not exhibit hypertension or increased renal lymphatic vessel density. To determine whether augmenting renal lymphatic vessels prior to the high salt diet could prevent SSHTN, we used transgenic mice that overexpress the lymphangiogenic signal VEGF-D only in the kidney under the control of doxycycline (KidVD+ mice) and thus exhibit renal lymphangiogenesis. Doxycycline initiated one week prior to the high salt diet prevented SSHTN in KidVD+ mice while having no effect on blood pressure in KidVD- mice (SBP: 117±4 vs. 139±5 mmHg; p<0.05). Renal gene expression of Tbx21 was decreased in KidVD+ mice while Ccr7 gene expression was increased significantly. These data demonstrate that renal lymphatic vessel density is increased in SSHTN and that augmenting renal lymphatic vessel density prior to a high salt diet can prevent SSHTN by improving renal immune cell exfiltration.

In humans and experimental animals, persistent immune system activation, accumulation of immune cells in the kidney, and subsequent inflammation plays an essential role in the development of hypertension (HTN). To reduce inflammation, lymphatic vessels drain extracellular fluid from the interstitium and traffic immune cells to draining lymph nodes. However, little is known about the connection between hypertension and renal lymphatic vessels. We hypothesized that renal lymphatic vessel density would increase in mice with L-NAME HTN and that genetically induced renal lymphangiogenesis would prevent this increase in blood pressure. L-NAME (0.5 mg/mL) was administered in the drinking water for two weeks and caused HTN (SBP: 153±3 vs. 103±3 mmHg; p<0.05) and renal lymphatic vessel dilation compared to control mice. Kidneys from mice with L-NAME HTN had significantly increased gene expression of the lymphangiogenic marker Vegfc , macrophage marker Adgre1 (F4/80), dendritic cell marker Cd11c , Th1 cell marker Tbx21 , and the pro-inflammatory cytokine Il6 . Blood pressure decreased after a two-week washout period following L-NAME (SBP: 113±2 mmHg) which was associated with a decrease in renal gene expression of Adgre1 (F4/80) and Cd11c , however renal lymphatic vessels remained dilated. To determine if augmenting renal lymphatic vessel density prior to L-NAME treatment would prevent HTN, we used transgenic mice that in response to doxycycline undergo kidney-specific VEGF-D overexpression (KidVD+ mice) and renal lymphangiogenesis. Doxycycline (200 mg/L) was administered in the drinking water of KidVD+ and KidVD- mice for four weeks with L-NAME being added during the final three weeks. Starting doxycycline one week prior to L-NAME prevented HTN in KidVD+ mice while slightly decreasing SBP in KidVD- mice (SBP: 112±4 vs. 134±2 mmHg; p<0.05). Renal gene expression of the Th17 cell marker Rorc was decreased and the lymphatic chemokine markers Ccl21 and Ccl19 were increased significantly in KidVD+ mice. These data together demonstrate that L-NAME HTN can alter the size of renal lymphatic vessels and genetically augmenting renal lymphatic vessel density prior to L-NAME can prevent the development of HTN.