Abstract
Abstract
This study was carried out to determine if a reticuloendothelial (RE) depressing substance is present in the circulation following thermal injury and intestinal ischemia. Plasma extracts were prepared from blood collected from animals at 3 hr after thermal injury or after 3 hr of intestinal ischemia. RE depressing activity was assayed by measuring the colloidal carbon clearance rate in rats or mice following the injection of plasma extracts. Control animals never demonstrated the presence of RE depressing activity. Thermal injury in dogs and rats produced consistently detectable circulating levels of RE depressing activity. Acid hydrolysis of plasma extracts from thermally injured dogs destroyed the RE depressing activity. Intestinal ischemia in dogs resulted in detectable RE depressing activity in portal vein blood. These findings indicate that an RE depressing substance may contribute to the RE depression which occurs following thermal injury and intestinal ischemia.
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