Reabsorption of a saline- or plasma-induced hydrothorax

In supine rabbits injection of 2 ml of saline into the lower right diaphragmatic region increased pleural liquid pressure at the injection point and, to a minor extent, on the costal and mediastinal side, indicating a redistribution of liquid among the pleural compartments. Over a period of 120 min end-expiratory liquid pressure on the diaphragmatic and costal surfaces approached the control value as a result of local reabsorption. No difference in the time course of liquid pressure was found on injection of either saline or homologous plasma. This was confirmed by measuring the volume of saline or plasma remaining in the cavity 90 min after injection; the net absorption flow amounted to 0.22 ml . kg-1 . h-1. These results suggest that local absorption mechanisms are relatively independent of the Starling pressure gradients acting across the pulmonary-perfused (-10.2 and 6.6 cmH2O with saline and plasma, respectively, the negative sign indicating a reabsorption gradient) and systemically perfused mesothelium (3.3 and 20.1 cmH2O with saline and plasma, respectively).