Thoracic duct lymph of mice after saline treatment of tourniquet shock

¹ Department of Biology, San Jose State College, San Jose, California

Tourniquet shock was produced in mice with thoracic duct fistulas, untreated or treated with saline. Lymph volume and sodium and potassium output were determined. Tourniquet shock in untreated fistula animals caused a decrease in lymph flow and sodium output, compared with untreated controls. Potassium output was not increased in shocked untreated animals when compared with output in untreated controls. Lymph flow and sodium output in lymph were significantly less for saline-treated shocked animals than for saline-treated controls; potassium output in the lymph of saline-treated shocked animals was elevated to the same level as for saline-treated controls. Previous workers have demonstrated an increase in potassium content of nontraumatized tissues and of blood after tourniquet shock. Moreover, in the present experiment potassium concentration increased in lymph of untreated shocked mice. The output of potassium, however, in the lymph of untreated shocked animals did not reflect this increase except when the flow of lymph was augmented after saline administration.