Abstract
McGrath 1 described gangrene of the tail in rats given ergotamine tartrate in toxic dosage. He quoted Polak 2 as having demonstrated that lumbar sympathectomy rendered the rat more susceptible to such gangrene. Rubin and Rapoport, 3 studying vascular hypertension in rats poisoned by ergotamine tartrate noted gangrene of the tail in most of their animals. None of these authors reported blood volume findings.
Albino rats were used in the present study. Blood volume was measured by the dye method of Griffith and Campbell. 4 The normal value by this method ranges between 4.0 and 5.3 cc per 100 g body weight, averaging 4.3 cc. Systolic blood pressure was measured under ether anesthesia by the indirect method of Griffith. 5 The normal blood pressure by this method does not exceed 150 mm of mercury. Ergotamine tartrate† was given subcutaneously in doses varying from 1.5 to 3.0 mg per 100 g body weight.
Six normal rats given 1.5 mg per 100 g body weight of ergotamine tartrate had normal blood volumes on the 5th and again on the 12th days. None developed gangrene of the tail. Blood pressure was not measured.
Blood volume measurements were made on 18 animals approximately 2 weeks after bilateral lumbar sympathectomy. The range was from 4.1 to 6.0 cc per 100 g, averaging 4.9. Seven of the 18 animals were above and 11 were within normal limits. Thus there is a tendency toward increased blood volume 2 weeks after bilateral lumbar sympathectomy.
Twenty sympathectomized animals and 21 normal animals were given 2.5 mg of ergotamine tartrate per 100 g body weight. Five of the normal animals and 12 of the sympathectomized animals developed gangrene of the tail. Blood volume was measured in 20 of the normal animals on the twelfth day following the injection.
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