Lipoperoxide in dog thoracic duct lymph

Lipoperoxide levels were examined in thoracic duct lymph (TDL) of 11 dogs. In four dogs with sodium citrate added in vitro to prevent coagulation, TDL had notably higher levels than in serum. After centrifugation, however, lymph supernatant levels of lipoperoxide closely approximated that in serum suggesting that the bulk of lipoperoxide remained in the sediment and derived from circulating cells. Interstitial accumulation of lipoperoxide, a breakdown product of cell membranes, may be a potent "toxic factor" responsible for trophic changes associated with chronic lymph-edema.