Schematics depicting defensive roles of lymphatic vessels in the small intestine. In the control mice (A), the intestinal lymphatic vessels play critical roles not only in draining absorbed lipids but also in the maintenance of villi structure and function. In the LYVE-1-Cre/iDTR mice (B), ablation of intestinal lacteals causes disruptions of blood vessels and villi architecture, which leads to invasion of intestinal pathogens into the circulatory system via the blood vessels.