Role of lymphatic system in water and solute transport from rat intestine in vitro.

Abstract

The results of the present study confirm previous observations and provide further evidence that water and solute are primarily transported from the intestine by the lymphatic system of rat jejunum in vitro, regardless of the nature of the serosal bathing medium (moist air, mineral oil or Ringer solution), or degree of intestinal motility. The transport of fluid by the venous system was negligible under all circumstances so far observed. Venous transport occurred only over a brief duration but lymphatic transport continued with little diminution in rate for at least 40 min. Lymph flow decreased with the increase of mucosal fluid osmolarity but was not affected by changing serosal fluid osmolarity. Lymph was always isosmotic with the mucosal fluid whether the latter was hypo‐, iso‐, or hypertonic. The composition of lymph with respect to concentrations of glucose; Na, K and Cl was the same as that of the absorbed fluid. The glucose concentration in the lymph was closely related to that in the bathing fluid on the mucosal side, rather than to that on the serosal side. It is concluded that the formation of lymph in the intestine is closely associated with water and solute absorption.