NUTRITIONAL EDEMA IN THE DOG. V. DEVELOPMENT OF DEFICITS IN ERYTHROCYTES AND HEMOGLOBIN ON A DIET DEFICIENT IN PROTEIN 1

Abstract

The conclusions reached are based upon 81 expts. on 38 dogs; the animals were maintained from 21 to 108 days on a protein-deficient diet. In addition to other analyses, approximately 140 measurements of blood vol. were made.[long dash]During maintenance on the diet there is an initial rise and later a progressive fall in relative red cell vol., in red cell count, and in Hb conc. The total vol. of red cells in the circulation declines continuously; the amt. of plasma in the circulation falls rapidly to a vol. which is then maintained for the duration of the expt. Because the early decreases in circulating vols. affect both plasma and erythrocytes, the usual red cell counts and Hb detns. fail to record the progressive loss from the circulation. When the loss of circulating proteins during 80 days is expressed as a % of the original quantity present, it appears that serum albumin suffers the greatest depletion, that Hb is somewhat less involved, and that serum globulin is very slightly affected. In terms of absolute quantity of protein removed from the circulation, the loss is 6 times as great for Hb as for serum albumin and 7 times as great for serum albumin as for serum globulin. Of the total protein lost by the body, about i is from the circulation and 4/5 is from tissues outside the blood stream.