Depletion of macrophages and disappearance of postcapillary high endothelial venules in lymph nodes deprived of afferent lymphatic vessels.

The afferent lymphatic vessels of rat popliteal lymph nodes were interrupted, and the histological alterations in the lymph nodes occurring 1 to 14 weeks after operation were studied. One week after operation the number of macrophages was considerably reduced and continued to decrease during the subsequent time periods studied. At 6 weeks most macrophages had disappeared. Simultaneously the immunological activity diminished and had completely disappeared 8 weeks after operation. Three weeks after operation the endothelial cells of the postcapillary high endothelial venules had flattened, and the number of immigrating lymphocytes was greatly reduced. Subsequently the lymph nodes became depleted of both macrophages and lymphocytes, leaving only the reticuloendothelial framework.