Thoracic duct lymph flow in pregnant sheep and response to blood volume expansion

1986 ◽  
Vol 250 (6) ◽  
pp. R1095-R1098 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Valenzuela ◽  
L. L. Woods ◽  
R. A. Brace

Left thoracic duct lymph flow rate averaged 0.077 +/- 0.003 (SD) and 0.078 +/- 0.003 ml X min-1 X kg-1 in near-term pregnant and nonpregnant sheep (P greater than 0.5). Lymph and plasma protein concentrations were unaltered in the pregnant compared with the nonpregnant animals. The thoracic duct lymph flow responses to three serial intravenous infusions of lactated Ringer solution were essentially the same in the pregnant and nonpregnant animals. Blood volume and vascular pressure changes during and after volume loading were essentially the same in both groups. In addition, terbutaline administration after volume loading caused no change in thoracic duct lymph flow rates. Thus the present study suggests that basal lymph flow rates, lymphatic function, and vascular as well as interstitial compliances are largely unaltered late in pregnancy in the sheep. In addition, beta-mimetic stimulation with terbutaline does not appear to suppress lymph flow rate.

1990 ◽  
Vol 258 (1) ◽  
pp. R240-R244 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Brace ◽  
G. J. Valenzuela

Studies have shown that lymph flow rate from several tissues depends on the pressure at the outflow end of the lymphatics. The left thoracic lymph duct is the largest lymphatic vessel and it transports a majority of the body's lymph. We varied outflow pressure for the left thoracic lymph duct independent of venous pressure in six unanesthetized, nonpregnant adult ewes with chronic lymphatic and venous catheters. When outflow pressure was negative, the thoracic duct lymph flow rate was independent of outflow pressure and averaged 0.040 +/- 0.004 (SE) ml.min-1.kg body wt-1. Lymph flow began to decrease with increasing outflow pressure only when outflow pressure was significantly greater than venous pressure. Above this breakpoint, lymph flow decreased linearly with outflow pressure and ceased at an outflow pressure of 25.6 +/- 4.2 mmHg. After vascular volume loading with lactated Ringer solution, steady-state thoracic duct lymph flow increased to 351 +/- 54% of control and was independent of outflow pressure when outflow pressure was negative. As outflow pressure was elevated, lymph flow began to decrease at the same breakpoint as before volume loading, and lymph flow ceased at the same outflow pressure as before volume loading. Thus this study shows that there is a plateau where thoracic duct lymph flow rate is independent of outflow pressure. In addition venous pressure under normal or volume-loaded conditions is not an impediment to thoracic duct lymph flow in unanesthetized sheep. Large increases in venous pressure are required to totally block thoracic duct lymph flow.


1994 ◽  
Vol 266 (3) ◽  
pp. R709-R713
Author(s):  
R. A. Brace

Although it is known that left thoracic duct lymph flow rate in the ovine fetus is several times that in the adult relative to body weight, the role of the lymphatic system in maintaining fetal blood volume has not been explored. In the present study, the left thoracic lymph duct was drained without return to the fetal circulation in 10 chronically catheterized animals for 7 h. Four experiments in which the lymph was returned to the circulation served as control. During the 7-h drainage, the total volume drained was 174.4 +/- 19.6 ml. Thoracic duct lymph flow rate decreased gradually and averaged 22.2 +/- 3.4% (SE) below control at 6-7 h compared with a small increase in the control experiments (analysis of variance: P = 0.0013 comparing 2 groups). Fetal blood volume decreased (P < 0.0001) by 8.2 +/- 1.1% at 3 h because of a decrease in plasma volume with a further small decrease in blood volume to 9.7 +/- 0.9% below normal at 7 h. The decreases in blood volume at 1, 3, 5, and 7 h were 49.5, 40.2, 24.6, and 21.7%, respectively, of the volume of lymph that was drained. Fetal vascular pressures and heart rate did not change significantly. Although protein concentrations in plasma (-6.8 +/- 1.3%) and lymph (-7.5 +/- 2.1%) decreased, the lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratio remained constant at 0.72 +/- 0.01.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


1989 ◽  
Vol 256 (1) ◽  
pp. H16-H20 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Brace

A method was developed for chronic catheterization of the left thoracic lymph duct at the base of the neck in the sheep fetus, which did not disrupt the other major lymphatic vessels that join the venous circulation at the same location. The lymphatic catheter was connected to a catheter in a jugular vein when lymph flow was not being recorded, so that the lymph continuously returned to the fetal circulation. Special consideration of catheter size to minimize flow resistance and treatment to prevent clotting were required. Individual animals were maintained up to 17 days with lymph flow continuing. In 13 fetuses averaging 128 days gestation (term = 147 days) at the time of catheterization, lymph flow rate was measured for 1 h each day for the first 7 postsurgical days with an on-line computer technique that continuously calculated lymph flow rate. Lymph flow averaged 0.64 +/- 0.17 (SD) ml/min in fetuses weighing 2.3-4 kg and tended to undergo a nonsignificant increase with time. Lymph and plasma protein concentrations did not change with time. In individual fetuses, large spontaneous variations in lymph flow rate occurred over periods of several seconds to a few minutes. Analysis showed that these variations in flow rate were not associated with fetal breathing movements. Thus the present study describes a technique for studying the dynamics of lymph flow in the unanesthetized sheep fetus in utero over a time period limited primarily by the length of gestation. In addition, it appears that thoracic duct lymph flow rate in the fetus per unit body weight averages three to four times that in the adult.


1987 ◽  
Vol 252 (6) ◽  
pp. R1114-R1118 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Valenzuela ◽  
R. A. Brace ◽  
L. D. Longo

Estrogen administration produces blood volume expansion and interstitial fluid retention. We decided to study the effect of estrogen withdrawal on blood volume and determine whether oophorectomy has an effect on lymph flow or protein concentration. The rate of left thoracic duct lymph flow averaged 0.041 +/- 0.005 (SE) and 0.071 +/- 0.008 ml X min-1 X kg-1 in castrated (n = 9) and noncastrated (n = 9) female sheep, respectively (P = 0.006). After three serial intravenous infusions of Ringer lactate solution (2% body wt/infusion) the thoracic duct lymph flow in the castrated animals increased 358, 457, and 498% over the base-line rate, compared with increase of 200, 235, and 353% in the nonpregnant ewes. However, with the lower control values in the castrated animals, the lymph flow rate reached the same absolute values as those seen in the noncastrated ewes. Lymph protein concentration and the lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratio, as well as arterial and venous pressures, were unaltered by oophorectomy. Base-line whole blood volumes were 58.2 +/- 1.9 (n = 9) and 64.8 +/- 2.6 ml/kg (n = 9) in the castrated and noncastrated ewes, respectively (P less than 0.05). Systemic vascular compliance averaged 4.5 +/- 0.7 and 7.1 +/- 1.7 ml X kg-1 X mmHg-1 in the castrated and noncastrated ewes, respectively (P less than 0.05), whereas interstitial fluid compliance values were 12 and 32 ml X kg-1 X mmHg-1, respectively. The capillary filtration coefficients were not different in the two groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


1961 ◽  
Vol 201 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walton K. T. Shim ◽  
Eugene L. Pollack ◽  
Theodore Drapanas

Serial studies of thoracic duct lymph flow rates and lymph proteins including albumin, globulin and fibrinogen were performed in 22 fasting unanesthetized dogs following intrathoracic cannulation of the thoracic duct with a polyethylene catheter. Serotonin given intravenously (20 µg/kg/min) produced a marked increase in lymph flow (115%) with a 20% decrease in total protein concentration. A single intravenous injection of epinephrine (1 mg) produced a 92% increase in lymph flow accompanied by a 12% increase in protein concentration. Histamine (1 mg) given intravenously also produced a significant increase in lymph flow (127%) but protein concentration remained constant. Hexamethonium chloride (2.5 mg/kg iv) markedly depressed lymph flow rate (50%) without significantly altering lymph protein concentrations. The possible mechanisms of action of each of these agents is discussed. Results indicate that serotonin markedly influences lymph production and lymph protein concentration by a probable selective alteration of capillary permeability rather than by increasing intestinal motility.


1992 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 585-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfred L Gest ◽  
Derek K Bair ◽  
Mary C Vander Straten

1983 ◽  
Vol 245 (6) ◽  
pp. R785-R791
Author(s):  
R. A. Brace ◽  
G. G. Power

To test whether whole-body lymph flow responses to vascular volume loading depend on osmolality, we measured left thoracic duct lymph flow rate and protein concentration, plasma protein concentration, plasma osmolality, hematocrit, and arterial and venous pressures in pentobarbital-anesthetized, acutely nephrectomized dogs. Hypo- (100 mosmol), iso- (309 mosmol), and hypertonic (600 mosmol) saline, isotonic lactated Ringer solution, and 5% glucose in lactated Ringer solution (580 mosmol) were infused into the jugular vein (20 ml/kg per infusion over 5 min at 30-min intervals). Changes in blood, interstitial, and cellular volumes were calculated from the infused volume and from the hematocrit and plasma osmolality. The hypotonic fluid increased lymph flow about half as much as the isotonic fluid, whereas the hypertonic fluids increased lymph flow about twice as much as the isotonic infusions. Responses appeared independent of the osmotic agent, because hypertonic NaCl was as effective as hypertonic glucose in increasing lymph flow. Responses were not altered appreciably after lowering arterial pressure by 25 mmHg. The major finding of this study is that for every condition we explored, the excess lymph flow over 30 min (ELF in ml X kg-1 X 30 min-1) correlated with the change in interstitial fluid volume (delta ISFV in ml/kg); ELF = 0.076 delta ISFV (r = 0.909). These data suggest that cellular fluid that enters the interstitium is equally effective in increasing thoracic duct lymph flow as is vascular fluid that filters into the interstitium.


1988 ◽  
Vol 254 (6) ◽  
pp. R1007-R1010
Author(s):  
R. A. Brace

The left thoracic lymph duct was catheterized at the base of the neck in the sheep fetus at 123-136 days of gestation, and the lymphatic catheter was connected to a jugular vein catheter so that the lymph could return to the fetus. Lymph flow was studied 5 days after catheter implantation in the unanesthetized fetus. Basal fetal thoracic duct lymph flow rate per unit body weight averaged three times adult sheep values. After an infusion of 20 ml/kg of warmed isotonic saline into a fetal vein over 5 min, lymph flow rate increased significantly to 161 +/- 15% of control, with a peak at 8 min after termination of the infusion, and flow declined thereafter. The increased lymph volume above baseline values over 30 min averaged 5.7% of the infused volume and is similar to the adult response. Plasma and lymph protein concentrations decreased as did the lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratio. The latter is opposite to what occurs in the adult under the same conditions. Thus the present study shows that even though the fetus has a much higher basal thoracic duct lymph flow rate than the adult, the responsiveness of the fetal lymphatic system to intravascularly infused saline is similar to that of the adult. The decrease in the lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratio suggests that there may be differences between fetal and adult vascular-interstitial-lymphatic protein kinetics.


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