Effect of Human Blood Serum on the Toxicity of Bile Salts. ∗

Abstract

Approximately two dozen white mice were used in these experiments. The effect on the toxicity of bile salts when injected intraperitoneally was observed, using normal saline and blood serum as vehicles. The lethal dose of stock bile salts 1 , 2 dissolved in normal saline had previously been found to be 0.009 gm. This product contained proteins, etc., which were removed, since they might influence the results. The procedure consisted of cleaning with chloroform and ether and dissolving the solid matter in alcohol. The alcoholic solution cleared by standing was pipetted off, filtered, and evaporated and the residue dried in a hot air oven. The residue was then immediately weighed so as to obviate as much as possible the adsorption of water which factor would necessarily influence the weight.

The solutions when made up contained 0.001 and 0.002 gm. of bile salts to the cc. Their slight variation in acidity was not sufficiently marked in the author's experience to influence the results. The surface tension estimated by the drop method for the serum and saline salt mixtures was virtually the same for like concentrations of the salt.

When normal saline was used as a vehicle 0.009 gm. of bile salts were found lethal as in previous experiments. 1 When fresh human serum (not older than 3 hours) was used in a like capacity, at least twice the amount was necessary to insure a fatal outcome. Thirty-six hours were considered a logical time over which to read results, especially since animals which did not die within that time survived.

We observed that human serum is protective toward this toxic product. It is questioned that this is due to the presence of a developed resistance on the part of the body.