The relief of biliary obstruction in experimental rats by diverting the hepatic lymph into the duodenum.

Twelve days after their common bile ducts had been ligated rats were icteric and their hepatic lymph nodes and lymph ducts were two or three times their normal size. Cannulation of the hepatic lymph ducts of these rats yielded bile-stained lymph which flowed at nine times its normal rate. As the lymph flowed, so the concentration of bilirubin in the blood declined; after 5 days the rats were no longer jaundiced, and by day 11 there were normal amounts of bilirubin in the blood. In another series it proved possible on seven occasions to insert the free end of the hepatic lymph cannula into the duodenum at the time that the bile was obstructed. Five of these animals showed no increase in serum bilirubin and remained in good condition until the experiments were terminated up to 61 days later. It seems that the effects of biliary obstruction can be mitigated by shunting the hepatic lymph into the intestine.