BLOOD VOLUME IN THE PREGNANT RABBIT

¹ Department of Physiology, The Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ

Red cell and plasma volumes were measured using ⁵¹Cr-labelled red cells and ¹²⁵I-labelled HSA respectively, in seventeen pregnant rabbits at 28-29 days of pregnancy, and fifteen non-pregnant rabbits weight-matched with the pregnant rabbits before mating. Red cell volume in the pregnant group (20·0 ± 2·7 ml.kg^-1; mean ± S.D.), was greater than in the control rabbits (18·0 ± 2·0 ml.kg^-1; P 0·05); plasma volumes (39·0 ± 4·5 and 37·3 ± 4·4 ml.kg^-1 respectively) were not statistically different. Blood volume was derived from the sum of independently measured red cell and plasma volumes. That of the pregnant group (59·0 ± 5·3 ml.kg^-1) was just significantly greater than that of the control rabbits (55·3 ± 5·3 ml.kg^-1; P 0·05). When the volume of distribution of the labels was corrected, by subtracting fetal weight from maternal body weight, the red cell, plasma and blood volumes were all significantly greater in the pregnant rabbits (P 0·02). Although the large vessel haematocrit of the pregnant group (41·6 ± 4·4%) exceeded that of the non-pregnant group (38·7 ± 2·6%; P 0·05), there was no significant difference in whole body haematocrit or F_cells (the ratio of whole body to large vessel haematocrit) between the two groups of rabbits.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. M. Hussain, T. L. Innerarity, W. J. Brecht, and R. W. Mahley Chylomicron Metabolism in Normal, Cholesterol-fed, and Watanabe Heritable Hyperlipidemic Rabbits J. Biol. Chem., April 14, 1995; 270(15): 8578 - 8587. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]