New method for evaluation of lung lymph flow rate with intact lymphatics in anaesthetized sheep.
OBJECTIVE
Lung lymph has commonly been studied using a lymph fistula created by tube cannulation into the efferent duct of the caudal mediastinal node in sheep. In this method, the tail region of the caudal mediastinal node is resected and the diaphragm is cauterized to exclude systemic lymph contamination, and cannulation is performed into one of the multiple efferent ducts originating from the caudal mediastinal node. Moreover, the pumping activity of lymphatics might be diminished by cannulation. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the flow rate of lung lymph with maintenance of intact lymphatic networks around the caudal mediastinal node to the thoracic duct in sheep.


METHODS
An ultrasound transit-time flow meter was used to measure lung lymph flow. The thoracic duct was clamped just above the diaphragm and the flow probe was attached to the thoracic duct just after the last junction with an efferent duct from the caudal mediastinal node. The lung lymph flow rate was measured at baseline and under conditions of lung-oedema formation.


RESULTS
The baseline lung lymph flow rate in our model was three- to sixfold greater than values obtained with the cannulation method. With oedema-formation, the lung lymph flow rate was the same as that measured using cannulation.


CONCLUSIONS
The lung lymph flow was unexpectedly large under the conditions of the study, and our data suggest that the drainage effect of lymphatics is significant as a safety factor against pulmonary oedema formation.
Naito
T
T
Department of Respiratory Surgery, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Ozawa
Y
Y
Tomoyasu
M
M
Inagaki
M
M
Fukue
M
M
Sakai
M
M
Yamamoto
T
T
Ishikawa
S
S
Onizuka
M
M
D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods; D002425:Cautery; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D008196:Lymph / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods; D034561:Sheep, Domestic; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods; D014463:Ultrasonography