Autonomic involvement in the lymphatic delivery of fibrinogen

¹ Carter Physiology Laboratory, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas

Fibrinogen concentrations in thoracic duct lymph and plasma were measured in 64 dogs before and following the intravenous administration of one of the following agents: saline, ephedrine, methacholine, or neostigmine. Measurements of hematocrit, lymphatic flow, arterial pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate were recorded also. Half of the dogs in each of the above groups were premedicated with atropine, the other half with saline. The rate of lymphatic flow increased only in dogs premedicated with saline and receiving ephedrine, methacholine, or neostigmine. Blood and lymph fibrinogen concentrations increased only in dogs receiving ephedrine; this increase was not observed in any dog premedicated with atropine. Fibrinogen delivery (milligrams fibrinogen delivered via the thoracic duct per minute), therefore, was dependent on parasympathetic activity and primarily was a reflection of the induced increase in rate of lymphatic flow. The increased flow was related to changes in hematocrit and to a lesser extent to changes in respiratory rate. Evidence and inductive reasoning are presented to support the concept of extravascular storage of fibrinogen and to propose a possible mechanism by which depletion and repletion of these stores is accomplished.

Key Words: lymph • lymphatic flow • fibrinogen concentration • fibrinogen delivery • autonomic agents • parasympathomimetic activity • permeability changes • extravascular fibrinogen storage site • gastrointestinal fibrinogen storage site

Submitted on November 27, 1964

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