Renal contribution to thoracic duct lymph in dogs.

Abstract

1. The renal contribution to thoracic duct lymph was measured in seventeen anaesthetized fasting dogs by measurement of thoracic duct flow before and after renal arterial occlusion.2. In eight experiments it was shown that thoracic duct flow and glomerular filtration rate were not significantly affected by the operation to expose the renal artery.3. In three experiments occlusion of the renal vein, after release of arterial occlusion, resulted in a sudden increase in thoracic duct flow.4. In animals infused with isotonic saline or dextrose (approximately 1 ml./min) the average values obtained for control thoracic duct flow, left renal flow and right renal flow were approximately 2.0, 0.7 and 0.3 ml./hr/kg body wt.: in non-infused animals these values were 1.4, 0.4 and 0.35 ml./hr/kg body wt. respectively.5. Possible reasons for the apparently smaller lymph flow from the right than the left kidney, and the relationship between the renal contribution to thoracic duct flow and actual renal lymph flow are discussed.6. Close correlation was found between control thoracic duct flow and body weight and between renal lymph flow and control thoracic duct flow.