BILE PIGMENT AND HEMOGLOBIN INTERRELATION IN ANEMIC DOGS

Abstract

When Hb is destroyed within the body the pigment radicle is quantitatively transformed into bilirubin and eliminated in the bile as a waste product of pigment metabolism. 1 g. of destroyed Hb is equivalent to 35 mg. of bile pigment. When laked Hb is injected intraven. into anemic bile fistula dogs it is conserved with the production of an equivalent amt. of new formed Hb and concurrently there is a return (90-100%) of the injected Hb in the form of bile pigment. To explain this reaction we suggest that from the introduced Hb is split off the pyrrol aggregate to form bilirubin and from the Fe and globin fractions plus newly formed pyrrol aggregates there is formed new Hb which appears in the circulating red cells. The body can apparently synthesize the pyrrol aggregate in considerable amts. in an emergency due to anemia.