Life Span of Rat Erythrocytes as Determined by Cr51 and Differential Agglutination Methods

Abstract

Agglutinins were prepared in rabbits against 2 types of RBC of a line of rats that segregate for C and D RBC antigens. Cr51-labeled C type RBC were transfused into rats having D type RBC. RBC survival curves were obtained from differential agglutination data and radioactivity measurements of blood samples taken at various intervals after transfusion. A curvilinear disappearance of RBC was obtained from Cr51 determinations, and differential agglutination data indicated a linear disappearance of RBC. For both methods, however, the extinction point was about 65 days. It was concluded that random destruction of rat RBC is not normally operative, and that the curvilinear disappearance of RBC associated with the Cr51 method probably resulted from in vivo elution of the isotope from RBC.