Comparison of protein lymph flux and extravascular uptake in skin during increased venous pressure.

The hypothesis that the albumin reflection coefficient is underestimated from measurements of lymph protein flux because of a prolonged interstitial washout was tested in the hindleg of anesthetized rabbits. In heel skin, the initial extravascular uptake for labeled albumin and immunoglobulin G (IgG) was compared with prenodal lymph flux for native albumin and IgG. Venous pressure was increased in one leg for 4 h, while the contralateral leg was the control. The extravascular uptake for labeled albumin was 67% greater than control during the fourth hour of increased venous pressure. Lymph albumin flux was 2.3 times control, indicating a small but significant washout of interstitial albumin. The magnitude of the interstitial washout for IgG was less than that for albumin. Using the relationship between the change in extravascular uptake and the change in lymph flow, the reflection coefficients for albumin and IgG were both 0.91. The reflection coefficient for albumin using lymph protein flux was lower because of a continued interstitial washout.