Nutritional Edema in the Dog

Abstract

1. The concentration of protein in the serum and plasma of normal dogs is given. Analyses of serum from 38 animals yielded the following averages and standard deviations, (a) for albumin: 3.26 ± 0.48 gm. per cent, (b) for globulin: 2.72 ± 0.76 gm. per cent, and (c) for total protein: 5.98 ± 0.67 gm. per cent. Analyses of plasma from 19 animals showed, (a) for albumin: 3.38 ± 0.38 gm. per cent, (b) for globulin: 2.98 ± 0.55 gm. per cent, and (c) for total protein: 6.36 ± 0.71 gm. per cent. 2. A diet for dogs is described, the feeding of which results in a progressive decline in the concentration of protein in the serum. A composite curve constructed from the findings with 21 animals discloses a rapid initial fall and a slower subsequent decrease in albumin and total protein and an approximately constant level for globulin. The course of the globulin curve was subject to wide variation in separate experiments, both increases and decreases being recorded. 3. With five dogs the nitrogen balance was followed through a total of 42 metabolism periods of approximately 7 days each. The average daily loss of nitrogen was 1.15 gm. Approximate calculations disclose that only 3 or 4 per cent of the nitrogen eliminated is accounted for by the decline in circulating protein, the remainder being represented by loss from the tissues. 4. An episode is described with one dog when, during a period of self-imposed fasting, the serum albumin regenerated to a normal level, apparently at the expense of catabolized tissue protein. 5. The course of serum proteins is described during the recovery which follows interruption of the low protein diet and return to a regime of adequate feeding. 6. A discussion is given of the relationship between tissue proteins and plasma proteins. The data permit one to entertain the hope that a way will be found for stimulating an internal readjustment to provide temporary relief from hypoproteinemia, a way which will depend upon the potential ability of the tissues to provide sufficient protein for the needs of the plasma.

Plasma Protein and Hemoglobin in the Protein-Deficient Rat. A Three-Dimensional Study 1

“…It is probably dependent upon the masking effect of hemoconcentration (4,14,18,19). Plasma protein concentration in the acutely proteindeficient rat (Table I; Figure 2) is similar to that observed in rats starved for 7 days (23), or fed a carrot diet for that period of time (36).…”

“…None of these was related to the effect of acute or chronic dietary protein deficiency in the growing animal which is the principal consideration of this report. (27) 4 per cent. Thiamin chloride 200,ug., pyridoxine hydrochloride 200,ug., choline chloride 100 mgm., riboflavin 400 pg., niacin 2500 pg., and calcium pantothenate 1500,g.…”

“…Laboratory evidence has indicated that low or inadequate protein diets usually result in partial inhibition of growth (1 to 3), depletion of tissue protein (4,5), hypoproteinemia (4, 6 to 8), anemia (8 to 10), and variable edema (6,11). Evidence derived from field observations of humans subsisting on protein-deficient diets has been equivocal.…”

Dietary Protein in Hemorrhagic Bright's Disease

“…Rubner, and other investigators (3,6,14) have believed it to be relatively large. Deuel (24) are inclined to agree with Bloomfield that the loss and lack theory is insufficient to account for hypoproteinemia, but they consider it hardly justifiable to assume that there is an injury to the blood proteinforming mechanism. Although from the observations at hand one can not tell whether any of the protein being deposited in the tissues of Patients 1 and 2 served as a defense against further depletion of the serum proteins, it is possible by measurement of proteinuria to produce evidence of a very active regenerative process in Patients 1 and 3.…”

Serum Lipoids in Malnutrition 1

“…To the patients in this series might be added the 5 diabetics of a previous communication in whom nutritional improvement after the severe tissue wasting of diabetic acidosis was attended by increases in serum lipoids (13). That loss of weight is closely proportional to the degree of hypocholesterolemia cannot be demonstrated by the data in Table II 23 per cent of his original weight had eaten poorly, but A52555 with a loss of 26 per cent of his weight had no history of poor food intake and had a normal cholesterolemia. That weight loss and small food intake for a short period of time result in hypocholesterolemia is disproven by studies of two normal individuals and of A33650 and A33682 in Table IIB.…”