Erythroid Response to Hemorrhage

The erythropoietic response to phlebotomy can be cytobiochemically documented by monitoring the rate of emergence into the circulation of newly released erythrocytes as indicated by their post-phlebotomy, intra-marrow labeling with radioactive thymidine. The erythrocellular recovery of juvenile and mature male quail whose acute blood losses were replaced by an infusion of an equal volume of saline was compared with the outcome of identically phlebotomized cohorts not administered the supplemental saline. The hematologic responses to hemorrhage of male and female juvenile and adult Japanese quail Coturnix coturnix japonica have been extensively examined in a series of experiments. In the case of the absolute reticulocyte count, it was significantly greater in juveniles of both sexes at 72 hr after bleeding than it was prior to venesection. The level attained in comparable circumstances by male and female adults, once again, did not equal that of the immature birds.