ABSTRACT
There is no authoritative characterization of the attributes of the hemolymph node (HLN) since Gibbes' first description in 1884. Early reports showed that HLN are found near the kidney in human and animals with the feature of numerous erythrocytes in sinuses. Subsequent studies mainly focused on anatomy and histology, such as the source, distribution, and quantity of erythrocytes in sinuses. Recent articles mentioned that the emergence of HLN was related to immunity, but there was no strong evidence to support this hypothesis. Therefore, it is still uncertain whether the HLN is an organ of anatomy, histology, or immunology. It has been found that the development of HLN could be elicited in the parathymic area by stimuli such as Escherichia coli, allogeneic breast cancer cells, and renal tissue that were injected/transplanted into the tail of rats in our pilot studies. In this study, the model of the HLN was established by transferring allogeneic renal tissue in the rat. Intrasinusoidal erythrocytes of the node were the component for producing a red macroscopic appearance, while macrophage-erythrocyte-lymphocyte rosettes were the major immunomorphological changes, reflecting the immune activity against the invasion of the allogeneic tissue within the node. Therefore, the HLN is an immunomorphological organ.
