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THE FLOW AND COMPOSITION OF HEPATIC LYMPH IN THE NORMAL AND HYPERCHOLESTEROLAEMIC RABBIT
Author(s) -
Courtice FC
Publication year - 1960
Publication title -
australian journal of experimental biology and medical science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0004-945X
DOI - 10.1038/icb.1960.43
Subject(s) - lymph , medicine , albumin , endocrinology , phospholipid , cholesterol , globulin , chemistry , pathology , biochemistry , membrane
SUMMARY Hepatic lymph was collected from an efferent vessel of the hepatic lymph node in two groups of rabbits, one living on a normal diet and one on a diet to which cholesterol was added. The average flow of lymph in the normal group was 0·7 ml./hr., and much greater, up to 30 ml./hr., in the hypercholesterolaemic animals. The average albumin level in the lymph of the normal rabbit was 96 p.c. and the globulin 74 p.c. of that in the plasma. In the hypercholesterolaemic group these values were slightly less, 88 and 70 p.c. respectively. Each of the globulin fractions, α, β and γ , varied only slightly from the mean globulin level. The cholesterol and phospholipid plasma : lymph gradients in the normal animals were much the same as for α and β globulin, but in the hypercholesterolaemic group these gradients were much greater. This was in agreement with the findings that the increased lipid levels in the plasma of the hypercholesterolaemic rabbit were due mainly to larger, less dense complexes with a high cholesterol : phospholipid ratio. The significance of these findings with regard to the permeability of the hepatic sinusoids and the production of lymph is discussed.