The presence of minimal amounts of fibrinogen-fibrin intermediates in human plasma was visualized by an agglutination reaction of glutaraldehyde-treated human erythrocytes coated with purified fibrin monomers. A degree of monomer coating was established which produced erythrocytes not agglutinated by normal plasma but by plasma containing minimal amounts of soluble complexes of fibrinogen with fibrin monomers. Under standardized conditions of coating, erythrocyte concentration, temperature, pH, and incubation time, the agglutination time varied with the ratio of soluble fibrin to fibrinogen in plasma. The test was sensitive down to a soluble fibrin concentration of 0.675% of the plasma fibrinogen concentration. Early fibrinogen and fibrin degradation products (FDP) in the plasma led to a prolongation of the agglutination time at a concentration of more than 16 mg/100 ml. Late FDP in a concentration of 100 mg/100 ml did not convert a positive test to negative. The test was not affected by heparin and protamine at concentrations of up to 12.5 and 50 NIH units/ml, respectively.
F OR a number of years this station has been conducting a series of experiments with chickens consuming abnormal amounts of minerals either in the mixed feed or in the drinking water. A previous report (Heller, 1933) described the deleterious results produced by the use of excessive amounts of minerals but gave no definite cause of the abnormalities. It has been suggested that the presence of high concentrations of salt might interfere with the normal hydrogenion concentration of the intestinal tract due to hydrolysis of the salts as well as to the neutralizing and buffering action that might result; that normal digestion and absorption might be interfered with, or that even the normal acid-base balance of the body might be disturbed.In order to determine whether such changes might result the hydrogen-ion con-centration of the intestinal tract of several hundred chickens has been determined.
METHODThe chickens used for these determinations were of the general purpose breeds selected from the college flocks. In all cases they were killed by rapid bleeding. The abdominal cavity was opened, and the digestive organs were quickly removed. Samples were then taken with a small glass scoop from the crop, proventriculus, gizzard, duodenum, upper ileum, lower ileum, caecum, colon, and the gall bladder and were placed in dry test tubes. The samples were macerated at once with 5 ml. of redistilled water after which 10 drops of an acetone solution of quinhydrone containing .036 grams per ml. were added. A portion of the well mixed sample was then transferred TABLE 1.-pH of intestinal tract of 10-month-old chickens consuming basic ration and supplements as Ration Supplement None 10% Ca(OH) 2 10% CaCOs 5% Na 2 HPO, 20% Lard 5% CaCl 2
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