STUDIES ON THE MECHANISM OF COBALT POLYCYTHEMIA

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Abstract
The observation of Barron and Barron that the respiration of bone marrow and reticulocytes in vitro is impaired by small amts. of Co cannot be confirmed. The respiration and glycolysis of the marrow of cobalt-polycythemic animals is slightly lower than that which would be predicted from previous studies, but the difference is so slight as to be of very doubtful significance. The in vitro respiration of both normal and polycythemic marrow is not altered by substituting poly-cythemic for normal serum. The erythroid hyperplasia of bone marrow in Co-polycythemic animals is independent of whether or not the marrow has an intact peripheral in-nervation. No morphological changes were observed in the blood vessels of marrow from Co-polycythemic animals. The mechanism of the action of Co in inducing polycythemia is unexplained; several possibilities are suggested for further study.