Blood, 1960, Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 1199-1204.
© 1960 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Volume and Cellular Constitution of Bone Marrow in
Guinea Pigs Hypoxic from Birth
G. HUDSON 1
1 Department of Anatomy, The University, Bristol, England.
A quantitative study of the volume and cellular constitution of the bone
marrow was carried out in 10 guinea pigs of approximately 400 Gm. body
weight, which had been born and reared at a simulated altitude of 14,000 feet,
and in 10 normal controls.
The hemopoietic marrow of the experimental group was more cellular and
showed a marked increase in the number of erythroid cells per unit volume.
No significant changes were demonstrated in the absolute counts of other
cells, but fat vacuoles appeared less numerous. The fatty (yellow) marrow
occupied its normal centrifugal position in the skeletons of both groups.
No absolute increase in the volume of bone marrow was detected in the
experimental group, but the red marrow volume formed a significantly greater
proportion both of the volume of the skeleton containing it and of the total
marrow volume.
It was concluded that the marrow of the hypoxic animals had a total population of erythroid cells about 40 to 50 per cent greater than normal; this increase
was largely accommodated by closer packing of cells in the red marrow.
Submitted on October 23, 1959
Accepted on November 20, 1959
