Life Span and Sites of Sequestration of Normal Erythrocytes in Normal and Splenectomized Mice and Rats

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Abstract
Normal, Cr51-labeled erythrocytes (RBC) of mice or rats were studied in normal and splenectomized animals to determine red cell life span and sites of sequestration. In mice, the T/2 Cr51 rbc is 20 days in normal as well as splenectomized animals. In mice, hepatic sequestration doubles following splenectomy, removing all the erythrocytes formerly found in the spleen. In splenectomized rats, the T/2 rbc is slightly longer (21 days) than in the normal rats (18 days). In the splenectomized animals, liver and bone marrow sequestration double but are nevertheless only 2/3 of combined spleen, liver, and bone marrow sequestration found in the normal rats. The observation that splenic sequestration is the major site of normal erythrocyte destruction in mice and rats contrasts with the findings in rabbits in which the bone marrow appears to be the chief site of red cell destruction.