Studies of Metabolism in the Dog before and after Removal of the Spleen

Four dogs have been subjected to metabolism studies before splenectomy and at intervals of three days to three months after splenectomy. In three of the four animals the removal of the spleen was not followed by any disturbances of nitrogen metabolism, fat utilization, or iron elimination. Two of these animals showed no anemia, and the third only a slight reduction in hemoglobin and number of red cells. A fourth animal, studied ten days and three months after splenectomy, developed eventually a definitely progressive anemia of moderate severity. This animal showed a slight loss of weight, a slight disturbance of nitrogen balance, and of creatine-creatinine partition, with a marked increase in the elimination of iron. We conclude therefore that the spleen has no important influence on metabolism, and that the disturbances occurring in one of our dogs were due to the coexisting anemia and not to the absence of the spleen.