Rate of lymph flow and the protein-electrolyte composition of the lymph from the thoracic duct in experimental acholia

Experimental acholia was reproduced by applying a biliary fistula to the choledochus in cats for 20 days. It was established that acholia was accompanied by considerable changes in the lymph flow and in the protein-electrolyte composition of the lymph. The rate of the lymph flow in animals with acholia was more than 2 times as decreased as compared with control. The electrolyte and protein shifts in the lymph during acholia were manifested by the reduction in the lymph protein and K+ content.     

The origin and significance of macrophages in thoracic duct lymph.

Efferent lymph collected from a thoracic duct fistula initially contains no macrophages. However, the surgical procedures used to insert plastic cannulae into efferent lymphatics incite a vigorous foreign body reaction leading to the contamination of collected lymph with significant numbers of these cells. A sensitive and specific assay for the presence of macrophages in lymphocyte populations was used to quantitate the degree of contamination in rats bearing thoracic duct cannulae. The origin of some of these contaminant cells from the peritoneal macorphage population was established by adoptive transfer of labelled peritoneal cells to cannulated recipients.