Studies on the Iron-Copper Metabolism in Idiopathic Hypochromic Anemia Part 2. Influence of the serum of idiopathic hypochromic anemia

In the present experiment the author studied the influences of the serum obtained from patients with idiopathic hypochromic anemia on the iron-copper metabolism of rabbits, and obtained the following results. 1. By successive injections of the serum of this disease no change occurs in the number of erythrocytes of rabbits, but the hemoglobin content decreases somewhat. Serum iron is moderately decreased while serum copper is slightly or moderately increased. 2. As for the non-hemin iron content in the viscera of the rabbit given successive injections of the serum of this disease, it tends to decrease in the liver and spleen, but it is markedly inceased in duodenum while it shows a tendency to increase slightly in the bone marrow. These findings seem to suggest that there are the acceleration in the hematopoietic function of bone marrow and the disturbance in the iron absorption via the intestinal tract. 3. As for the copper content in the viscera of the rabbit successively administered the serum of this disease, it is markedly increased in the liver; slightly increased in the kidneys; but it shows no great change in the spleen, bone marrow and duodenum. 4. The bone marrow picture of the rabbit receiving successive injections of the serum of this disease clearly shows the acceleration of hematopoietic function. From these findings it can be deduced that in the serum of this disease there exist factors that induce the acceleration of the bone marrow hematopoietic function, namely, the factor accelerating the iron consumption and impeding the iron absorption from the intestinal tract, and that these two factors are involved in inducing this disease