Studies with Brugia pahangi. 11. Measurement of lymph flow in infected cats

Rates of lymph flow in cats were measured by calculating the disappearance of radioactive colloidal gold (198Au) from the feet of (1) uninfected cats, (2) cats infected for various periods after primary infection with Brugia pahangi, and (3) cats repeatedly challenged with B. pahangi infective larvae over long periods. The results of the study showed that (1) there is great variation in gold disappearance rates in different cats in all 3 groups above, (2) the cat lymphatic system is functionally highly efficient, and (3) in a cat with lymphoedema and early elephantiasis, there was a significant impairment of gold removal from the affected foot. The study proved useful in finding lymph drainage rates in the various animals but did not, as hoped, show any pattern of lymph flow decrease which might have enabled the use of the technique as a diagnostic tool for lymphatic pathology prior to the occurrence of external clinical manifestations of filariasis.