Flow of lymph from the canine liver

Abstract

Observation of the hilar lymphatics from 100 canine livers seen at operation disclosed two drainage pathways: 1) a main hilar system, draining predominantly the right lobes and 2) an accessory hilar system, draining mainly the left lobe. In 94% of the animals all of the hilar lymph seemed to pass into one common efferent trunk which then discharged it into the cisterna chyli. Apparently, 69% of the animals had a lymph vessel large enough to permit cannulation for physiologic studies. From a study of five dogs in which the gallbladder was removed and the common bile duct ligated and in which there were fistulas of both the hilar lymph trunk and the thoracic duct, it was concluded that, normally, about 80% of the lymph leaving the canine liver probably travels by the hilar route and the remaining 20% by the hepatic venous lymph route. The mean flow of hilar lymph from the liver during biliary obstruction in 20 unanesthetized animals was 0.66 ml/kg body weight/hr., the standard error of the mean being ±0.07.

The flow and composition of mammary‐gland lymph

“…One of the unexpected features of this work was the high rate of lymph flow from the mammary gland, which in conscious lactating animals is about 10 times the average flow from the thoracic duct in other animals (Yoffey & Courtice, 1956) and about equal to the flow of lymph from the liver in unanaesthetized dogs (Ritchie, Grindlay & Bollman, 1959) and rats (Friedman, Byers & Omoto, 1956). Unlike that from the liver, however, the protein content at the higher rates of flow is low and is inversely related to the flow.…”

Sublobular veins as the main site of lymphocyte adhesion/transmigration and adhesion molecule expression in the porto-sinusoidal-hepatic venous system during concanavalin A-induced hepatitis in mice

“…Although lymphocytes infiltrating in the portal tract are ultimately transported to the regional lymph nodes via the lymphatic vessels as represented here by the presence of lymphocytes in the lymphatic vessels of the portal tract, the fate of lymphocytes accumulated around the sublobular veins and hepatic veins is not known because these veins have no lymphatic vessels around them. In cats, 35 dogs, 36 and humans, 37 which have lymphatic vessels around the sublobular and hepatic veins, perivenular lymphatic vessels have communication with those in the portal tract. In mice and rats, the sublobular veins rather frequently come across with the portal veins as shown here and previously reported.…”

Pathobiology of biliary epithelia

“…The hepatic lymphatic system is extensive, comprising as much as 50% of total lymphatic flow [21]. Lymph flows from the space of Disse to lymphatic capillaries around the portal triads, then enters the liver parenchyma, closely associating with arterial branches [21]. …”