RENAL LYMPH FLOW AND COMPOSITION DURING ACETAZOLAMIDE AND FUROSEMIDE DIURESIS

Abstract

Several lines of research suggest that renal
lymph is formed totally, or in part, as a filtrate of
postglomerular blood. Even so, renal interstitial fluid
dynamics is necessarily dominated by the rapid
transfer of large volumes of reabsorbate from tubular
lumen to peritubular capillary. To determine the effects
of tubular reabsorption on lymph formation,
renal lymph flow and composition were studied
before and during alterations in tubular reabsorption
produced by diuresis. A 25% reduction in whole
kidney fluid reabsorption rate did not alter renal
lymph flow or lymph protein concentration. A concomitant
decrease in plasma protein concentration,
however, suggests that any deficit in lymph flow
resulting from decreased reabsorbate content may
have been obscured by an increase in vascular filtration.
An increase in renal lymph PAH and creatinine
concentrations relative to those of arterial and renal
venous blood plasma supports this conclusion. It appears
that renal lymph flow may be determined by
both vascular filtration and tubular reabsorption.