Development of Incompatibilities in Dogs by Repeated Infusions of Red Blood Cells. ∗

Abstract

In the course of an investigation on the influence of diet upon the regeneration of serum protein it was found, as has been reported by others, 1 that with repeated plasmaphereses the hematocrit values tended to fall to anemia levels unless red blood cells from donors were injected periodically. Inasmuch as a fraction of the reinjected cells breaks down and liberates hemoglobin, which serves in the same capacity as dietary protein, an attempt was made to determine the degree of hemolysis in vivo in order to evaluate the liberated globin in terms of protein intake. Wu's 2 ultra-micromethod for the determination of hemoglobin was adapted, as modified by Bing 3 and McFarlane. 4

In all of the 4 experiments performed, the determination of hemoglobin on the citrated plasma, saline washing, and the modified Locke's solution 5 in which the red cells were suspended for reinjection, indicated a remarkable uniformity in the hemolytic effects of these preliminary manipulations. The initial infusions of cells from the same donor (A) into 2 dogs (1 and 2) produced a proportional but negligible hemolysis. However, when cells from this donor (A) were injected a second time approximately 2 weeks later, a marked hemolysis in vivo was observed which failed to be related proportionally to the volume of cells injected.

Thus, in dog 1, the hemolysis, over and above a hemoglobinuria, was more than 30 times that recorded after the first cell infusion, although the cell volume injected was only 4 1/2 times greater. In the case of dog 2, where similar cell volumes were injected, the maximum hemolysis was found to be more than 3 times greater subsequent to the second transfusion.

For the evaluation of proteins with respect to their ability to stimulate serum protein regeneration, 2 larger dogs (No. 3 and No. 4) were used.