An attempt to produce hypersplenism in the dog, using methylcellulose.

By S. NI. \VEISSMAN, T. A. \\‘ALDMANN, E. LEvIN, AND N. I. BERLIN I HE ROLE of the spleen in the control of production and destruction of erythrocytes in “hypersplenic” disease states is not well understood. The lack of a satisfactory experimental model in a large animal has handicapped laboratory investigations of hyperspienism. Effors to produce the syndrome by ligation of the spbenic vein or by anastomosis of the splenic vein to the inferior vena cava or renal vein resulted in the development of anemia in some studied,15 but not in others.68 Even when these procedures were successful, only a mild and relatively transient anemia was observed. Chronic oral administration of hydroxybamine to rats,9 administration of horse antirabbit marrow serum to rabbits,’#{176} and injection of silica into the splenic vein of the dog1’ produced complex pathologic manifestations with splenomegaly as only one component. The parenteral administration of such macromolecular substances as polyvinyl alcohol,’2 gum 3 pectin,13 n4 and methylcellubose13 , I 548