HIGH CHOLESTEROL CONTENT OF HUMAN 



SPLEEN 



KARL BERNHARD 



The lipid diseases (lipoidoses) are generally considered to 

 he due to disorders of the lipid metabolism of the whole 

 organism (Pick) in which storage of lipids occurs in different 

 organs. There may be involvement of bone marrow, skin, 

 mucous membranes, viscera and other organs or tissues. One 

 may imagine that the cells involved produce the excess lipids 

 themselves. To approach this problem we investigated some 

 time ago a case of lipoidosis. The 25-year-old female patient 

 showed a large splenic tumour extending to the iliac crest. 

 The tumour proved to have a smooth surface and to be 

 sensitive to pressure. The family history revealed that three 

 brothers and sisters who died during childhood all showed 

 splenic enlargement, as does also a 36-year-old living sister. 



As splenectomy was considered necessary in our patient's 

 case, we thought it possible to investigate certain aspects of 

 the metabolism of the spleen by injecting DgO, so as to yield 

 a concentration of heavy water in the body fluid of the patient. 

 We injected 25 ml. of DgO (99 -7 per cent) twice with a short 

 interval, and also had the patient drink over a period of 

 four days 8 pints (4 litres) of water containing 5 atom per 

 cent deuterium. 



Splenectomy was performed on the fifth day of the experi- 

 ment. Unfortunately the patient's condition did not allow 

 us to take samples for the isolation of blood lipids. The 

 body fluid then contained 0-56 atom per cent D. The spleen 

 weighed 715 g. and consisted of 29-9 per cent dry matter 

 and 1-49 per cent ash. The fresh material was reduced to 

 small pieces, dried with acetone and then thoroughly extracted 

 with ether. This extraction yielded 54-9 g. of ether-soluble 



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