Following plasmapheresis, the depressed serum albumin concentration rapidly returns to normal (1) indicating alterations in albumin synthesis or degradation. Both dextran administration (2-6) and elevation of serum globulin levels produced by means of hyperimmunization (7,8) are associated with hypoalbuminemia; a colloid osmotic regulatory mechanism has been suggested as responsible for the reciprocal changes in serum proteins observed after hyperimmunization (7, 9). If such a mechanism does exert control over the concentration of serum albumin, alterations of albumin metabolism either in the rate of synthesis or in the rate of degradation might be expected when osmotically active molecules other than albumin are added to the circulation. The present study represents an attempt to define, more specifically than heretofore reported, the changes in albumin metabolism resulting from such a procedure. Dextran was administered to rabbits to depress albumin concentration. After the development of hypoalbuminemia, the rates of albumin synthesis and degradation were studied and compared with control values. Cortisone acetate was then given to increase the rate of albumin degradation (10), and the rates of albumin synthesis were remeasured.
METHODSFemale rabbits were used in all studies. Animals were kept in metabolism cages and fed a standard rabbit diet.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.