Experimental studies of the fibrinogen response to hemorrhage

Rabbits were bled 20 ml/kg body wt over approximately 1 h, and the changes in hematocrit, plasma total protein, and fibrinogen concentrations, red cell and plasma volumes, and masses of total protein and fibrinogen in the plasma during and for 4 days after the hemorrhage were monitored. Ten percent of plasma fibrinogen was transferred from the interstitial fluids during the hemorrhage, and total plasma fibrinogen was raised to 140% of initial levels by 1 day later. 131I-labeled fibrinogen was given intravenously 1 day before a 20 ml/kg hemorrhage, and simulation methods described in the APPENDIX were used to define changes in the posthemorrhage fractional rates: transcapillary transfer rate (j1), lymphatic return rate (j2), and catabolic rate of fibrinogen (j3): j1 was unchanged but j2 increased and j3 briefly declined. In the day after hemorrhage fibrinogen synthetic rate increased approximately threefold to restore plasma fibrinogen concentrations to initial levels, but then returned to normal or subnormal levels. The alterations in j2 and j3 save about 20% of the synthetic work that would otherwise be required to restore plasma fibrinogen levels to normal.