Effect of increased neck vein pressure on intestinal lymphatic pressure in awake sheep

Lymphatic vessels from the intestines drain into the thoracic duct, and the thoracic duct empties into veins in the neck. Thus increases in neck vein pressure (PNV) might slow intestinal lymph flow, provided the increased pressure is reflected upstream through the lymphatic vessels. To test the effect of increases in PNV on lymphatic pressure, we cannulated intestinal lymphatics in the direction of flow in six sheep. After the sheep recovered from surgery, we measured the pressure in the lymphatics (Px) as we increased PNV in steps. Px increased only slightly (but significantly) from 7.4 +/- 2.0 to 11.4 +/- 5.2 (SD) cmH2O when we increased PNV from baseline (0.8 +/- 2.4 cmH2O) to 37.4 +/- 4.1 cmH2O. However, when we simulated an increased lymph flow by infusing Ringer solution into the lymphatics at 1,000 microliters/min, Px increased to 24.6 +/- 7.0 cmH2O at PNV equal to 37.1 +/- 5.3 cmH2O. These results indicate that, at normal lymph flow rates, increases in neck vein pressure cause only small increases in intestinal lymphatic pressure. On the other hand, when lymph flow is elevated, increases in neck vein pressure may substantially increase lymphatic pressure and thus slow intestinal lymph flow.