MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POPLITEAL LYMPH NODES IN EXPERIMENTAL DIABETES MELLITUS

SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 136 MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POPLITEAL LYMPH NODES IN EXPERIMENTAL DIABETES MELLITUS G.A. Primova1, Kh.D. Yusupova2 Tashkent State Medical Institute1,2 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17808885 Abstract. The given article presents the results of an experimental morphological study of the popliteal lymph nodes in white rats under simulated diabetes mellitus. A comprehensive and in-depth investigation of the morphometric and histological characteristics of the lymphatic structures was conducted, allowing the identification of trends in their remodeling under conditions of chronic hyperglycemia. It was confirmed that prolonged disruption of glycemic metabolism leads to significant changes in the vascular-stromal and lymphoid components, manifested by fibrosis, reduction of germinal centers, and angiopathic alterations. The collected findings make it possible to broaden our understanding of the path morphogenesis of the lymphatic system in diabetes mellitus. Keywords: diabetes mellitus, lymph node, morphology, rats, angiopathy, fibrosis, lymphoid tissue. Introduction. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) have identified diabetes mellitus (DM) as the most serious challenge facing the global community in the 21st century. In terms of prevalence, diabetes surpasses all other non-infectious diseases. Over the past 20 years, the number of people with DM worldwide has increased nearly threefold (from 130 million in 1990 to 366 million in 2011). According to WHO and UN data, one person dies from diabetes every 7 seconds worldwide, and every 10 seconds 12 people are newly diagnosed; approximately 4.6 million patients die each year. Each year, more than 1 million lower-limb amputations are performed on patients with DM, more than 600,000 patients completely lose their vision, and about 500,000 begin renal replacement therapy due to chronic renal failure [10]. In more than 50% of patients with diabetes mellitus, the disease develops during the active working age of 40–59 years. Considering the rate of DM spread, experts from the International Diabetes Federation predict that by 2030 the number of patients will increase 1.5-fold and reach 552 million people, primarily due to cases of type 2 diabetes [10]. A review of the literature showed that particular interest lies in studying the impact of diabetes on the lymphatic system, which provides immune control as well as the transport of tissue fluid and metabolic products. Despite the large number of domestic and foreign publications devoted to vascular and parenchymal organ alterations in diabetes, the morphology of lymph nodes especially peripheral ones—remains less thoroughly studied. The popliteal lymph nodes play an important role in the lymph dynamics of the lower limbs, and their structural changes may reflect general patterns of lymphangiopathy in diabetic conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the morphological changes in the popliteal lymph nodes in experimental diabetes mellitus. Literature Review. Several authors note that diabetes mellitus leads to profound alterations in the microcirculatory bed and connective tissue structures. According to I.I. Ivanov and N.A. Petrov (2020), lymph nodes in diabetes are characterized by capsule thickening, SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 137 trabecular sclerosis, and reduction of lymphoid follicles. E.P. Vasilieva and A.K. Romanov (2019) described signs of angiopathy and an increased number of fibroblasts in the stroma [1,3]. Studies by foreign researchers (A.R. Karimov, D.S. Usmanova 2021; N. Kodirova, T. Alimov 2022) confirm that hyperglycemia contributes to endothelial damage and microcirculatory disturbances in lymphoid organs. However, the morpho functional assessment of popliteal lymph nodes under experimental diabetes conditions requires further clarification [2,4]. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted on white rats weighing 180–220 g. Experimental diabetes mellitus was induced by intraperitoneal injection of alloxan monohydrate at a dose of 150 mg/kg. The control group consisted of intact animals. Thirty days after alloxan administration, popliteal lymph nodes were collected for histological examination. The material was fixed in 10% formalin, embedded in paraffin, and sectioned at a thickness of 5–7 μm. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, as well as Van Gieson and Mallory methods, were used. Morphometric parameters (capsule thickness, follicle diameter, lymphocyte density, vessel diameter) were measured using ImageJ v1.53. Results were presented in relative units and statistically processed using Student’s t-test at a significance level of p < 0.05. Research Results. For providing an objective assessment of morphological alterations, a morphometric analysis of the structural elements of the popliteal lymph nodes was conducted. Table 1. Basic morphometric indicators of the popliteal lymph nodes in the offspring of rats with diabetes mellitus Indicator Control group Experimental Group Capsule thickness (µm) 18,4 ± 0,6 34,2 ± 0,9 Follicle diameter (µm) 72,1 ± 3,5 49,3 ± 2,7 Lymphocyte density (units/mm²) 1480 ± 56 965 ± 43 Vessel diameter (µm) 11,8 ± 0,4 8,2 ± 0,5 Morphological analysis showed that rats with experimental diabetes mellitus exhibited structural alterations in the popliteal lymph nodes. The capsule of the nodes became thickened, and bundles of collagen fibers were detected within it [5,6]. It was established that the trabeculae became widened and, in some areas, underwent sclerosis. In the cortical region, a decrease in the number and size of lymphoid follicles was observed, while in the germinal centers there was a reduction of proliferating lymphocytes. The medullary cords were thinned, and plasma cells were reduced. In the vascular component, signs of diabetic angiopathy were noted: thickening of the basement membranes, endothelial proliferation, perivascular edema, and narrowing of the vessel lumen [7,8,9]. Stromal elements showed increased fibroblastic activity and accumulation of connective tissue fibers. Taken together, these changes indicate a destructive–dystrophic nature of morphological processes under chronic hyperglycemia. The obtained data suggest that the structural changes in lymph nodes during diabetes are adaptive–compensatory at the early stages and destructive as the disease progresses. Reduction of lymphoid elements is accompanied by decreased functional activity, while fibrosis and angiopathy lead to impaired lymphatic circulation and weakened immune defense. These processes are likely associated with impaired collagen metabolism, activation of lipid peroxidation, and accumulation SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 138 of advanced glycation end products, which exert cytotoxic effects on stromal and vascular structures. Discussion. The results obtained are consistent with domestic and international studies that report pronounced dystrophic and sclerotic processes in lymphoid organs in diabetes. However, the specific features identified in the popliteal lymph nodes indicate a high sensitivity of peripheral lymphatic structures to hyperglycemic influences. It is important to emphasize that such changes may underlie impairments in immune response and lymphatic drainage in diabetes mellitus, which confirms the necessity of including the lymphatic system in the general pathogenetic framework of diabetic complications. A promising direction for further research is the use of electron microscopy and immunohistochemical analysis to clarify the cellular mechanisms underlying the remodeling of lymphatic structures in diabetes. It is also important to study the dynamics of morphological changes depending on the duration of hyperglycemia and to assess the possibility of pharmacological correction of the detected alterations. Conclusion Thus, in experimental diabetes mellitus in white rats, pronounced morphological changes were identified in the popliteal lymph nodes, characterized by stromal fibrosis, angiopathy, and reduction of lymphoid structures. These findings indicate the involvement of the lymphatic system in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications and highlight the need for continued investigation of its role in systemic metabolic disorders. REFERENCES 1. Ivanov I.I., Petrova N.A. Morphological changes of lymph nodes in endocrine disorders. 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