Residual Organ Blood Volume of Cattle, Sheep and Swine.

Abstract

The residual blood in organs and tissue, as a function of age and weight, for cattle, sheep and swine sacrificed by conventional methods was determined by the isotope dilution procedure using p32 labeled homologous erythrocytes. Organ weights and total blood volume compared favorably with literature reports. Neither age, weight nor species appeared to influence significantly the ml of tissue residual blood/100 g fresh weight, except that the spleen, liver, pancreas, and gastrocnemius muscle of cattle and sheep retained more blood than did those tissues of swine. There was a general tendency for higher residual blood concentrations in organs and tissue of younger animals, but these findings were not consistent. Adrenals, heart, pancreas, kidney, liver, pituitary and muscle tissue retained less than 10 ml of blood/100 g fresh weight, while lungs and spleen retained more residual blood. It is suggested that these values may provide a basis for estimated corrections in quantitative investigations for distribution of blood-borne substances in farm animals.