The effect of the occlusion of liver lymphatics on hepatic blood flow

In the dog after the ligation of the thoracic duct and of the lymphatics of liver hilum hepatic blood flow decreased in 2hrs by 30.6 per cent. The flow reduction is due to the increase of arterial and venous inflow resistances and of the prehepatic splanchnic arteriolar resistance. The vascular reaction in lymph stasis differs insofar from the reaction seen during biliary duct obstruction that in the latter condition hepatic artery flow is increased. A preexistent lymph stasis does not abolish the increase in the hepatic artery flow produced by raised biliary tract pressure. The differences between the flow reactions observed in bile stasis and in lymph stasis are explained by the accumulation in the latter condition of a protein rich fluid in the liver tissue.