Ligation of cervical lymphatic vessels decelerates blood clearance and worsens outcomes after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage

•Erythrocytes in SAS were effectively removed via the drainage system of dCLVs.•dCLVs ligation impaired erythrocyte clearance.•Rabbits had a higher rate of erythrocyte clearance, but not due to lymphatic drainage.•Ligation of dCLVs aggravated neuroinflammation, neuronal loss and brain edema after SAH.•Induction of lymphatic sprouting facilitated the removal of erythrocyte from SAS to dCLNs.•Promoting lymphatic development ameliorated outcomes of SAH. Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is characterized by the extravasation of blood into the subarachnoid space, in which erythrocyte lysis is the primary contributor to cell death and brain injuries. New evidence has indicated that meningeal lymphatic vessels (mLVs) are essential in guiding fluid and macromolecular waste from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into deep cervical lymph nodes (dCLNs). However, the role of mLVs in clearing erythrocytes after SAH has not been completely elucidated. Hence, we conducted a cross-species study. Autologous blood was injected into the subarachnoid space of rabbits and rats to induce SAH. Erythrocytes in the CSF were measured with/without deep cervical lymph vessels (dCLVs) ligation. Additionally, prior to inducing SAH, we administered rats with vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C), which is essential for meningeal lymphangiogenesis and maintaining integrity and survival of lymphatic vessels. The results showed that the blood clearance rate was significantly lower after dCLVs ligation in both the rat and rabbit models. DCLVs ligation aggravated neuroinflammation, neuronal damage, brain edema, and behavioral impairment after SAH. Conversely, the treatment of VEGF-C enhanced meningeal lymphatic drainage of erythrocytes and improved outcomes in SAH. In summary, our research highlights the indispensable role of the meningeal lymphatic pathway in the clearance of blood and mediating consequences after SAH.