Morphological studies on hemolymph nodes in the Korean native cattle

한우 혈림프절에 관한 형태학적 연구

Hemolymph nodes of the Korean native cattle were observed gross anatomically and light microscopically in this study. Hemolymph nodes of the Korean native cattle were found mainly at the periphery of the thoracic and abdominal aortae although there were some other parts to observe these small organs. These organs were small in size and spherical or ovoid in shape, and color of them was dark red or gray in common with red band. The hemolymph nodes were surrounded by a relatively thick connective tissue capsules composed of dense collagen fibers with many scattered smooth muscle fibers and there was a hilus in each node. The parenchyma was divided into an outer cortex and an inner medulla. A few primary and secondary lymph nodules were observed in the cortex and there were diffuse lymphatic tissues among them. The medullary cords consisted of diffuse lymphatic tissues were separated by the medullary sinuses which filled with erythrocytes. The afferent and efferent lymph vessels were observed at the periphery of the capsule and the hilus area, respectively. The stroma of the hemolymph nodes was composed of reticular cells and fibers, and the meshwork of the stroma was filled with many lymphocytes and erythrocytes, and a few macrophages and megakaryocytes etc. These findings suggest that the hemolymph node of the Korean native cattle is involved in blood filtration and immune reaction.