Elsevier

Microvascular Research

Volume 14, Issue 3, November 1977, Pages 243-249
Microvascular Research

Time course of lymph protein concentration in the dog

https://doi.org/10.1016/0026-2862(77)90023-1Get rights and content

Abstract

Lymph protein concentrations were measured in spontaneously flowing lymph collected from lymphatic ducts in the hind limb, forelimb, neck, and the left thoracic duct. Lymph from all ducts except the thoracic duct underwent a gradual increase in protein concentration of approximately 1 g/dl during the first 2 hr after anesthetization and remained constant during the subsequent 4 hr. After the protein concentration had increased to this high level, gentle massage of the area always caused a large increase in lymph flow and simultaneously a decrease in lymph protein concentration of approximately 1 g/dl after a flow of only 50 to 100 μl had occurred. Throughout the experiment, plasma protein concentration did not change. These data provide two separate indications that lymph protein concentration is not always identical to interstitial fluid. First, lymphatic protein concentration in a large fraction of the body increases while plasma protein concentration remains constant, which would be an impossibility if the protein concentration in the large volume of interstitial fluid increased. Second, lymphatic protein concentration following massage falls by approximately 1 g/dl when the volume and thus protein content of the interstitial fluid essentially has not changed at all.

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