Enzymatic changes in the lymph in the thoracic duct and right lymphatic duct during extracorporeal circulation in the dog

The authors analysed the various enzymes in the lymph of the thoracic duct and the right lymphatic duct in a series of 15 dogs submitted to extracorporeal circulation, the experimentors noted a series of diffuse cellular lesions which involved transiently the main organs. This lesion seems only to occur at first: independent of the duration of the by-pass, probably due to hypoxia following the rapid and massive introduction of priming. It is concluded that lymph analysis is more revealing for knowledge of enzyme behaviour than blood analysis. A differential study of lymph in the right lymphatic duct and in the thoracic duct is surprisingly much less important.