FIGURE 7.

Absence of galectin-1 in vivo increases the number of cells in regional lymph nodes. Superficial dermal lymphatics in the tail were cauterized in galectin-1^−/− (gal-1^−/−) and C57BL/6 (WT) animals to induce lymphedema. Animals were analyzed at day 6 post-surgery. A, edema adjacent to the incision site (arrowhead) was visible in animals when lymphatics were cauterized (lymphedema), while sham-treated animals (skin incision alone) had no edema. B, cell suspensions from tail-draining lymph nodes were counted to determine the total number of cells in the node. Lymph nodes from galectin-1^−/− were larger (data not shown) and had more cells compared with lymph nodes from WT mice, and the difference was more pronounced in animals with lymphedema. Data are combined results of n >10 animals per group and five independent experiments ± S.E. ***, p < 0.0001; **, p = 0.034; ns, p > 0.2.