Long Noncoding RNA UC-173 Promotes Growth of Small Intestinal Mucosa by Down-Regulating Microrna-195

or optical clearing) to prepare transparent mouse small intestine and colon for 3-dimensional (3-D) lymphatic network imaging.Deep-tissue microscopy of the duodenal specimens derived from db/db (2 months; model of young obesity) and db/+ mice and the colon specimens derived from dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) -treated B6 mice (2 months; colitis model; control: untreated B6) was used to examine the intestinal lymphatic vessels in health and disease.Results.In young db/db mice, the enlarged duodenal villi are identified with lymphatic vessel remodeling, which features branching and bridging of lacteals: nearly 60% of the villi carrying branched and/or multiple lacteals in a villus to increase the vascular volume and surface area underneath the epithelium.In colitis, the diseased colon shows enlargement of lymphatic vessels and lymphangiogenesis.The latter is identified with ki67labeled lymphatic endothelial cells and the short protrusions extending from the submucosal domain toward the damaged mucosa.Conclusions.Intestinal lymphatics represent a highly plastic and dynamic system that responds to disease with proliferation and remodeling.These results provide an important new dimension to our understanding of gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders using a novel integrated approach to examine the intestinal lymphatic vessel remodeling in these conditions.