Mouse-vascularized small bowel transplantation was performed as described previously (32 (link)) with some modifications. C57BL/10 mice were used as donors and recipients. In brief, under the combined anesthesia with Ketamine and Rompun, the donor jejunum and proximal ileum together with the MLN were isolated with the superior mesenteric artery and portal vein attached. After luminal irrigation and vascular perfusion, the graft was stored at 4°C in Ringer's solution until implantation. The graft portal vein and superior mesenteric artery were anastomosed to the recipient's inferior vena cava and abdominal aorta, respectively, in an end-to-side fashion. Both ends of the graft were exteriorized as stomata. Mesenteric lymphadenectomy was performed by microdissection along the length of the superior mesenteric artery to aortic root (33 (link)). To confirm completeness of mesenteric lymphadenectomy, animals received 150 μL Chicago sky blue (Sigma-Aldrich) solution (1% in PBS) by intraperitoneal injection at the end of the experiment. 10 d later, mice were killed and carefully inspected to reveal remaining MLN.