Abstract
Summary
The cardiac lymph flow was measured in 20 dogs by cannulation at the level of the aortic arch of a mediastinal lymphatic which drains lymph from the heart. The mean flow was 1.14 ml/hr and this rose to 4.4 ml/hr after complete ligation of the coronary sinus in 17 experiments. After partial ligation of the coronary sinus in three experiments, there was a rise in cardiac lymph flow of lesser degree. The mean pressure in the coronary sinus in 11 experiments was 8.3 mm Hg and this rose in 15 dogs to 45.6 mm Hg after ligation of the coronary sinus. Thus the mean cardiac lymph flow increased 3.9-fold while the mean coronary sinus pressure increased 5.5-fold.
The WBC, RBC, Na, K, Cl, and total protein of the lymph were not altered appreciably by coronary sinus ligation. The GOT and LDH were roughly half the control value in five of six experiments. The GOT and LDH were considerably higher in cardiac lymph compared to peripheral blood drawn after the lymph studies were completed.
The data suggest that an increase in the venous pressure of the left myocardium, which is produced by ligation of the coronary sinus, is followed by a significant 3.9-fold increase in the cardiac lymph flow. This confirms for the heart the relationship between venous pressure, capillary pressure, and lymph flow stated by Starling, which has been previous demonstrated in organs other than the heart.
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