Abstract
Calvin 1 reported that the total circulating proteins of normal dogs could be increased by relatively large infusions of normal saline. During the course of other experimental work2 it seemed pertinent to study the effect of massive infusions of saline upon the total amount of circulating protein in both normal and hypoproteinemic dogs.
Three dogs in varying states of nutritional hypoproteinemia and one normal dog were used in this work. After a preliminary determination of blood volume and serum proteins had been made, the experimental animals were given relatively large intravenous infusions of normal saline solution during short periods of 6 to 9 minutes. The blood volumes and proteins were studied in these animals at varying intervals. The methods used for determining blood volume, serum proteins and non-protein nitrogen have been described. 2
The data for the plasma volumes and serum proteins are presented in Table 1. The total circulating protein is calculated from plasma volume and serum protein concentration. After relatively large saline infusions the absolute amount of circulating protein in the hypoproteinemic animals shows practically no change during the first thirty minutes and at the end of 6 hours there is a slight but definite increase. On the other hand, infusions in normal animals are followed immediately by a relatively large increase in the circulating protein. At the end of 6 hours, total circulating protein decreases but does not return to the preinfusion level.
In 3 different experiments the maximum increases in total circulating protein in a normal dog were 8.7, 15, and 16% respectively at 30 minutes.
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