The Cardiac Lymphatics in Experimental Chronic Congestive Heart Failure

The cardiac lymphatics were cannulated in 12 dogs. Chronic congestive failure was previously induced by creation of an aorticocaval fistula and administration of deoxycorticosterone trimethylacetate and salt in six dogs. The cardiac lymph flows averaged 3.16 ml/hr and 2.28 ml/hr in the failure and control animals, respectively, and the effluent cardiac lymphatics were larger in the experimental animals. The composition of the lymph (RBC, WBC, Na, K, Cl) was similar, except for slightly increased SGOT, LDH, and total protein concentration in the control group. The composition of blood (RBC, WBC, SGOT, LDH, total protein, Na, K, Cl) was not significantly different in the control and experimental groups. The data suggest that in chronic congestive failure the cardiac lymphatics expand slightly, but cardiac lymph flow is not significantly increased. This is in contrast to the pulmonary lymphatic system in chronic congestive failure in which great expansion and increase in lymph flow occurs.