HYPOPROTHROMBINEMIA DUE TO LOSS OF INTESTINAL LYMPH

Abstract

When all of the intestinal lymph of the rat was drained externally, marked hypoprothrombinemia, as detd. by the 2-stage method, developed rapidly, usually within 24 hrs. If adequate amts. of vit. K were admd. parenterally, a normal level of prothrombin was maintained, despite loss of lymph and even of considerable amts. of blood as well. Transfusion of twice the animal''s normal volume of plasma did not maintain a normal value for prothrombin while lymph was lost. Under the conditions of these expts. it appeared that vit. K was absorbed practically exclusively through the lymph and very little of it was stored, while the turnover of prothrombin was extremely rapid.