Flow and Composition of Lymph in the Young Bovine

Abstract

Thoracic or intestinal duct lymph was collected from 15 Holstein calves of similar age and weight, fed whole milk twice daily, or hay and grain ad libitum. Average lymph flows were derived from a series of 13-hour total lymph collections with simultaneous infusion of the collected lymph at a rate approximately equal to the flow. Lymph flow from the thoracic or intestinal ducts of calves fed milk averaged 695 and 429 ml/hr, respectively, while lymph flow from the thoracic or intestinal duct of calves fed hay and grain averaged 899 and 517 ml/hr. Lymph flow increased after whole milk feeding, but calves fed hay and grain showed no consistent diurnal pattern in lymph flow associated with feed intake.Lipid in lymph averaged 1.45, 3.14, 0.50, and 0.79 g/100ml in the thoracic and intestinal ducts of milk-fed and of hay- and grain-fed calves. Calves fed milk consumed 2 to 3 times as much lipid as those fed hay and grain, but there was little diurnal variation in lipid output in the lymph of calves fed either diet. Protein in lymph averaged 4.04, 4.63, 3.66, and 4.89 g/100ml in the thoracic and intestinal ducts of milk-fed and of hay- and grain-fed calves.