Red blood cell volume and distribution before and after bleed-out in the rat

¹ Department of Physiology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City

The distribution of red blood cells in nine normal Nembutalized rats (323.2–415.0 gm body weight) was determined by the Cr⁵¹-labeled red blood cell technique. Microliters of red blood cells per total and per gram of tissue are reported for the testes, brain, intestine, kidney, heart-lung, spleen, liver, bone, muscle and skin. Values are also listed for the same organs and tissues determined after rapid bleed-out as found by Muelheims, Dellenback and Rawson. A comparison of these values shows that the liver, heart-lung and muscle contribute approximately 80% of all red blood cells removed in the hemorrhage. The skin, bone, kidney and intestine contribute as a group the remaining 20% with a negligible contribution from the testes and brain and no contribution from the spleen.