SPLENIC DERIVATIVES AND ERYTHROCYTIC FRAGILITY

¹ From the Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

1. Saline and alcohol-soluble extracts of fresh hog, dog, beef and pigeon spleens and commercial extracts of hog spleen were found to be hemolytic for dog, cat, rat, pigeon, turtle and frog erythrocytes, dog, turtle and frog erythrocytes being readily hemolyzed by small quantities of these extracts.

2. Smaller amounts of these various splenic extracts increased the resistance of pigeon erythrocytes against saponin and dog serum hemolytic for pigeon erythrocytes, and afforded this same protection to a lesser degree to cat and dog erythrocytes against saponin hemolysis.

3. An anti-hemolytic fraction highly protective to erythrocytes against hemolysis (acetone-insoluble), and a hemolytic fraction highly hemolytic (acetone-soluble) were separated from the alcohol-soluble extracts of various spleens and from the commercial extracts of hog spleen. The anti-hemolytic fraction thus obtained afforded good protection to even dog erythrocytes against saponin hemolysis.

4. Intraperitoneal and intravenous injections of certain splenic extracts lowered the resistance of pigeon erythrocytes to saponin hemolysis.

5. The anti-hemolytic substance fractionated from splenic extracts was also obtained in extracts of blood and liver, but not in extracts of striated muscle, fat and cerebrum.

6. The anti-hemolytic fraction is not cholesterol or any other substance giving the Liebermann-Burchard reaction.

7. Washed nucleated erythrocytes of pigeon, turtle and frog greatly increased the effectiveness of the anti-hemolytic fraction of splenic extract against saponin and dog serum hemolysis.

8. All of the reactions obtained with extracts of fresh spleens were duplicated with commercial extracts of spleen as sold for clinical use.