Arnold Heller and the lymph pump

• Published in: Acta physiologica Scandinavica Vol. 185; no. 3; pp. 171 - 180
• Main Author: Aukland, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.11.2005; Blackwell Science
• Subjects: active propulsion; Animals; biography; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heller; history; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; Humans; lymph; Lymphatic system; Lymphatic System - physiology; lymphatics; Physiology - history; Pulsatile Flow; Vertebrates: cardiovascular system; Vertebrata; Lymphatic system; Mammalia; Biography; active propulsion; Lymphatic; Review; history; Case history; lymphatics; Lymph
• ISSN: 0001-6772; 1365-201X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-201X.2005.01470.x

This article reviews studies on lymph propulsion in the lymph vessels by active contraction of the vessels, first described by Arnold Heller in 1869 in German language, and here translated into English. His observations were first confirmed by Beatrice Carrier (1926) and Howard Flory et al. (1927), and several groups were active up to World war II. Few publications appeared in the period 1940‐‐1960, followed by increasing activity and development of new experimental techniques for use both in various experimental animals and in humans. Recently it has been shown that passive lymph flow may add to active propulsion. Both mechanisms depend on lymph formation, i.e. the uptake of interstitial fluid by the initial lymph vessels which is still not well understood.