On the Regeneration of Serum Polysaccharide and Serum Proteins in Normal and Intoxicated Rabbits

Abstract

Summary. The changes in the serum proteins and the serum polysaccharide after blood and plasma losses have been studied in normal and poisoned rabbits. In normal rabbits there is a relative as well as an absolute increase of the α‐ and β‐globulins and a decrease of the albumin and γ‐globulin after bleeding. The absolute increase of the β‐globulin is largest. After bleedings, single or repeated for long periods, there is an increase of the glucosamine content of serum. This increase does not parallel any of the main fractions of the serum proteins. The analysis figures indicate that there is a subfraction more rich in carbohydrate than the α 2 ‐globulin. This subfraction will increase more rapidly the first few days of bleeding than the other components of the α‐ and β‐globulins. In animals given phosphorus or benzene perorally there is also an increase of the α‐ and β‐globulins after bleeding. Here the increase in α‐globulin is largest. In these animals there is no increase of the glucosamine content. Severely poisoned animals may produce highly abnormal electrophoretic patterns. Poisons of the bone marrow such as lead and benzene given parenterally do not considerably affect the regeneration picture of the serum proteins. There is also a normal rise in the glucosamine content after bleeding in bone marrow poisoned animals. The poisoning experiments indicate that the liver is the site of formation of the serum polysaccharide. The probable physiological rôle of the bound carbohydrate of the serum proteins is discussed.