LIVER FUNCTION AND BLOOD PLASMA PROTEIN FORMATION : NORMAL AND ECK FISTULA DOGS

Normal dogs and two Eck fistula dogs, receiving a daily diet containing an average of 1 gm. of vegetable protein per kilo of body weight, showed after average intervals of 7 to 9 weeks, slight decreases in amounts of circulating plasma protein (Table 21). A third Eck fistula dog under similar circumstances was unable to maintain its plasma protein concentration above the edema level. This dog by biopsy was shown to have an abnormal liver and the evidence indicated that the other organs were normal. The animal showed active thirst and diuresis as compared with controls (Table 25). This Eck fistula dog had less than one-tenth the capacity of the normal dog to form new plasma protein when various food proteins were added to the basal diet, and no significant quantitative differences in the relative potency of these foods (liver, kidney, heart muscle, soy bean, salmon) could be distinguished (Table 22). It appears that the liver abnormality is responsible for this abnormal reaction. This observation gives strong support to the thesis that the liver is actively concerned with fabrication of new plasma protein.