The influence of intravenous inoculations of cholesterin upon blood cells

Abstract

Some years ago (1907) Talquist believed that he had found the harmful substance present in the Bothriocephalus latus leading to progressive anemia. The substance which he isolated from these worms was a cholesterinester present in greatest proportion as cholesterin oleate. He found that a synthetic cholesterin oleate did not have such active hemolyzing properties as the extracts from the worm, but on his general findings he believed that this substance was the cause of the anemia and suggested the possibility of other anemias arising through the action of similar substances. Since this time cholesterin in various forms has been used to a considerable extent for other experimental purposes. In some of these experiments the materials were fed to animals while in others they were introduced by inoculation. Depending upon the dosage there was a variable increase in the cholesterin content of the blood. This cholesterin was present in combination with fats or lipoids. Even with the development of a continued hypercholesterinemia amounting to several times the normal blood content, none of the authors have remarked upon the production of a progressive anemia. In our own feeding experiments no anemia was apparent, although the cholesterin of the blood was often very high.

Recently we have studied the effect of the direct introduction of cholesterin combinations into the blood. An emulsion of a cholesterin combination with sodium oleate, containing 7.5 per cent. of cholesterin and 5 per cent. of sodium oleate, was used. The cholesterin in these materials forms a combination with sodium oleate so that colloid globules remain in suspension and are readily introduced into the circulation of animals. The cholesterin in this form does not give rise to a foreign body reaction as when the pure cholesterin is used.