Effect of heparin on erythrocyte filtration by the popliteal lymph node in the dog.

Fisher and Fisher (3) and Agostino and Clifton (1, 2) have shown that the metastatic "take" of tumor cells given intra venously to animals can be reduced by prior heparinization. However, if heparinization were to reduce the filtration efficiency of the first echelon lymph nodes for lymphatic métastasesfrom a localized tumor, this useful action would be counterbalanced. To study the effect of heparin on lymph node filtration, the previously described popliteal lymph node preparation in dogs (4) was perfused with 51Cr-tagged erythrocytes. One hind limb was first perfused as a control, then the other limb was perfused after heparinization of the animal.