Thoracic Duct and Right Lymphatic Duct: Surgical Approaches for Drainage in the Canine with Comparison of Cellular and Chemical Contents

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Abstract
Technics of drainage of the right lymphatic duct (RD) and thoracic duct (TD) are described and illustrated. In 2 series of experiments the components of RD and TD lymph were compared to blood plasma collected concurrently. RD and TD lymph, collected concurrently, were also compared in a 3rd series. RD and TD lymph differ in a number of ways including rate of flow, enzyme activity, cell count and lipid-electrophoretic patterns. The limitations of RD lymph for the study of fluid and protein dynamics of the lungs and the cell population of lung lymph are outlined. Higher levels of enzyme activity in RD compared to TD lymph were noted. This phenomena appears to depend on a number of complex factors.