Changes in myocardial fluid filtration are reflected in epicardial
lymph pressure.
Vanteeffelen, Jurgen W. G. E., Daphne Merkus, Isabelle Vergroesen, and
Jos A. E. Spaan.
Department of Medical Physics, Cardiovascular Research Institute
Amsterdam, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, PO Box
22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
APStracts 3:0382H, 1996.
The effect of an increased fluid filtration on stopped-flow epicardial
lymph pressure (Plymph), used as indicator of myocardial interstitial
volume, was investigated in the anaesthetized open-chest dog.
Histamine infusion resulted in an increased systolic peak in the
Plymph signal together with an increase in diastolic Plymph in 4 of 5
animals. During reactive hyperemia systolic and diastolic Plymph
increased to respectively 127+/-8 (SEM; n=6) and 121+/-6.7% of
control. Peak Plymph was about 15 s later than peak coronary blood
flow and venous pressure (Pven). When Pven was transiently elevated
to 367+/-72 (systolic) and 247+/-45% (diastolic) of control, Plymph
increased to 132+/-12 and 120+/-5.5% of control. The time of response
was similar for Pven and Plymph (t50 nearly equal to 2s). The
increased systolic and diastolic Plymph can be explained by an
increased interstitial and lymph filling. It is concluded that
changes in myocardial fluid filtration are reflected in epicardial
lymph pressure. Furthermore, it seems that cardiac contraction
constitutes an important defense mechanism against the formation of
myocardial edema.
Received 6 May 1996; accepted in final form 21 August 1996.
APS Manuscript Number H400-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 19 September 1996