A Journey through the History of the Lymphatic System: Discoveries and Developments

Year 2023, , 529 - 542, 28.09.2023

Meltem Çelik

https://doi.org/10.31020/mutftd.1339551

Abstract

The main element in the efficient execution of the function of the body is the functionality of the lymphatic system. This system, which has a strong relationship with the immune system, also connects with the digestive system and fluid homeostasis. It has been the subject of research for centuries in the history of medicine in order to develop treatment strategies in diseases with the understanding of lymphatic system structure and function. The lymphatic system, which is thin and spiral, has a long and gripping history due to the difficulties in studying its elements. This review article, which aims to provide a systematic summary of the studies on the history of the lymphatic system using Pubmed Central, Scopus and Google Scholar databases, dates from the XVI century BC to the present day. The direct acceptance of Galen's views for centuries ended with Vesalius, and the XVII century was considered the golden age due to the signing of many new inventions. In the XVIII century, Ruysch published the function of the lymph valves, in the XIX century Mascagni published the iconography of the lymphatic network. Comparini (1924-1999) performed illustrative reconstructions of liver lymphatic. After these developments, the glymphatic system was described for the first time in a study conducted in mice in 2012 and proved its existence in humans in 2017.

Keywords

lymphatic system, history, glymphatic system

Lenfatik Sistem Tarihçesi’ne Yolculuk: Keşifler ve Gelişmeler

Abstract

Vücudun verimli bir fonksiyon yürütmesinde ana unsur lenfatik sistem işlevselliğidir. Bağışıklık sistemi ile güçlü ilişki içinde olan bu sistem aynı zamanda sindirim sistemi ve sıvı homeostazisi ile de bağlantı kurar. Lenfatik sistem yapısı ve fonksiyonun anlaşılması ile hastalıklarında tedavi stratejileri geliştirmek amacıyla tıp tarihinde yüzyıllardır araştırma konusu olmuştur. İnce ve sarmal yapılı lenfatik sistem, elemanlarının incelenmesindeki zorluklar nedeniyle uzun ve sürükleyici bir tarihçeye sahiptir. Pubmed Central, Scopus ve Google Akademik veri tabanları kullanılarak lenfatik sistem tarihçesine ilişkin yapılan çalışmaların sistematik bir özetini sunmayı hedefleyen bu derleme makalesi MÖ XVI.yy’dan günümüze kadar uzanmaktadır. Yüzyıllarca Galen’in görüşlerinin doğrudan kabulü Vesalius ile son bulmuş ve XVII.yüzyıl birçok yeni buluşa imza atılması nedeniyle altın çağ olarak kabul edilmiştir. XVIII.yüzyılda Ruysch lenf kapaklarının işlevini, XIX.yüzyılda Mascagni lenfatik ağın ikonografisini yayınlamıştır. Comparini (1924-1999), karaciğer lenfatiklerinin illüstratif rekonstrüksiyonlarını gerçekleştirmiştir. Bu gelişmelerden sonra 2012 yılında farelerde yapılan bir çalışmada ilk kez glenfatik sistemi tanımlanmış ve 2017’de insanlarda varlığını kanıtlamıştır.

Keywords

lenfatik sistem, tarihçe, Glenfatik sistem

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