THE RELATION OF THE SPLEEN TO BLOOD DESTRUCTION AND REGENERATION AND TO HEMOLYTIC JAUNDICE

Abstract

1. The erythrocytes of splenectomized dogs show increased resistance to the action of hypotonic salt solutions and to specific hemolytic immune serum. The degree of resistance appears to increase with the length of time that has elapsed after splenectomy. 2. This increased resistance of the erythrocytes is not due to an increased antihemolytic power of the animal's serum or to a diminished complementary value of the serum, but is a property depending upon the erythrocytes themselves. 3. Non-splenectomized animals receiving a single injection of specific hemolytic immune serum and developing a temporary anemia show likewise on recovery an increased resistance of the corpuscles without the presence of antihemolysin in demonstrable amount. 4. As anemia of varying grade is a characteristic result of splenectomy, it would appear that the increased resistance of the corpuscles is a concomitant of the regeneration of the red cells following such anemia and is thus analogous to the increased resistance of such cells not infrequently observed in various forms of experimental anemia. 5. There is no evidence to indicate that the anemia after splenectomy is due to the presence of hemolytic bodies, or that the increased resistance of the cells is due to antihemolytic bodies, accumulating in the serum as the result of the ablation of the spleen. It is evident therefore that the spleen in some way controls or regulates blood destruction (and regeneration ?), and in the hope of throwing light on the subject, an investigation of the bone marrow and lymph nodes of splenectomized dogs is now under way.