THE ORIGIN OF CHYLOMICRONS IN THE CERVICAL AND HEPATIC LYMPH

¹ The Kanematsu Memorial Institute of Pathology, Sydney Hospital, Sydney

1. The chylomicron content of the plasma, hepatic and cervical lymph of cats has been examined. Clear lymph coming from the head and neck and the liver contains numerous chylomicrons, the number present in the hepatic lymph being much greater than in the cervical lymph.

2. The number of chylomicrons in the liver and cervical lymph varies with the number present in the plasma, and can be increased by the intravenous injection of fatty chyle, and decreased in absorptive cats by diverting the thoracic duct lymph from the plasma. Following the intravenous infusion of fatty chyle, about 0·4 per cent of the amount of lipid injected is returned by the lymph during the 2-hour period taken for the plasma lipids to return to normal.

3. Raising the intrahepatic sinusoidal pressure during the fatty chyle transfusions increases the rate of liver lymph flow and the liver lymph rapidly becomes milky. In these animals large amounts of lipid were carried in the liver lymph, and about 14 per cent of the total amount of fat injected was recovered in the lymph in the 2-hour post-injection period.

Note:

It is a pleasure to acknowledge the technical assistance of Miss Marianne Kearns.