American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 12, 88-98, Copyright © 1963 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Some Metabolic and Nutritional Factors Affecting the Survival Time of Erythrocytes

¹ From the Department of Anatomy, University of Arkansas School of Medicine, Little Rock, Arkansas

In addition to the studies discussed previously, there are many other factors involved in the production of erythrocytes which must be analyzed for their role in the successful survival of the circulating corpuscle. As with all technics, studies of intravascular survival reveal only one segment of the life history of the erythrocyte. With scientific caution it must be remembered that these studies have determined the effect or lack of effect of certain agents on survival time once the erythrocyte is in circulation. Cholinesterase is apparently not a survival factor for erythrocytes in circulation, but who can say it is not a vital material in the complicated genesis of the non-nucleated erythroplast? And conversely certain hemolytic drugs may be effective only on circulating erythrocytes, bypassing the marrow in which these elements are generated.