Blood, 1957, Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 355-366.
© 1957 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
The Life Span of the Red Blood Cell and the Red Blood
Cell Volume in the Chicken, Pigeon and Duck as
Estimated by the Use of Na2Cr51O4
With Observations on Red Cell Turnover Rate in the
Mammal, Bird and Reptile
GERALD P. RODNAN 1,
FRANKLIN G. EBAUGH JR. 1,
M. R. SPIVEY FOX 1, and
DORIS M. CHAMBERS 1
1 National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
Eight to 25 per cent of intravenously injected Na2Cr51O4 binds firmly with
erythrocytes of the chicken, pigeon and duck. Calculation of the maximum life
span of these avian red cells was made from the disappearance time of circulating
radioactivity. The maximum life span of the chicken erythrocyte was found to be
35 days, of the pigeon erythrocyte 35-45 days, and the duck erythrocyte 42 days.
Comparing the life span of avian erythrocytes with those of other animal species,
the rate of red cell turnover in the mammals, birds, and reptile (turtle) was found
to correlate directly with basal heat production per kilogram body weight.
Using erythrocytes tagged with Na2Cr51O4 in vitro, the total red blood cell
volume was found to be 17-24 ml. per Kg. body weight in the rooster, 9-12 ml.
per Kg. in the hen, 25-31 ml. per Kg. in the duck, and 31-34 ml. per Kg. in the
pigeon. These values proved somewhat lower than those obtained from the
indirect estimates of red cell volume, using plasma volume figures and periphera
blood hematocrit.
Submitted on June 25, 1956
Accepted on August 18, 1956
