Increased outputs of lymphocytes in lymph efferent from the lymph nodes of sheep during systemic arterial hypertension induced by phenylephrine or dopamine.

Induced systemic arterial hypotension by intravenous nitroprusside administration and by acute arterial occlusion in sheep have been found to reduce lymphocyte traffic as mirrored in the output of lymphocytes into the efferent lymph of peripheral lymph nodes. In the present series of experiments in sheep with chronically cannulated efferent lymphatics of peripheral lymph nodes, induced and monitored systemic arterial hypertension with intravenous pump infusions of phenylephrine or dopamine both produced sharp increases in the output of lymphocytes into efferent lymph in all of 27 studies. The increases in lymphocyte output with dopamine were more sustained and less associated with evidence of lymphoid tissue damage than with phenylephrine. Phenylephrine infusions were attended by a high incidence of gross bleeding into the efferent lymph, of increased coagulability of efferent lymph in the absence of gross bleeding and of prolonged depression of lymphocyte outputs after the cessation of intravenous infusion.