THE FATE AND EFFECTS OF TRANSFUSED SERUM OR PLASMA IN NORMAL DOGS

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Abstract
Protein given intraven. to normal dogs, either as normal or concentrated serum or plasma, leaves the blood stream in a relatively short time. The rate of disappearance of this transfused protein is constant and not related to the changes in volume or conc. caused by the transfusion or to the state of protein reserves. The correlation between the rate of protein disappearance and the dye disappearance suggests that the former is logarithmic and therefore related to the total amt. of protein in circulation. The diuresis induced is roughly proportional to the increase in plasma volume and change in protein conc. The transfusion causes a loss of water from the red cells resulting in a decrease in their size. The latter may be an important source of error in calculations of vol. change by the hematocrit. These expts. offer an explanation for the observation that in many pathological states only temporary benefits are derived from plasma transfusions. These expts. add evidence, too, to the concept of a dynamic equilibrium between plasma and tissue proteins.