REVUE SUISSE DE ZOOLOGIE 

 Tome 76, n° 44 — Décembre 1969 



849 



Sérum electrolytes and clotting factors 

 in rats during blood loss 



by cardiac puncture: 

 Effect of Norethynodrel 



with Mestranol on sérum Magnésium 



by 



N. F. GOLDSMITH \ H. HUGGEL and H. K. URY 



Laboratory of Comparative Anatomy and Physiology, University of Geneva, Switzerland. 

 and Environmental Epidemiology California State Department of Public Health, Berkeley, USA 



With 4 figures and 3 tables. 



INTRODUCTION 



Sérum concentrations of magnésium, calcium and phosphate are lower in 

 women using oral contraceptives compared to non-users (Goldsmith and Gold- 

 smith, 1966; Collen, 1967; Pulkkinen and Willman, 1967). Experiments in 

 rats showed that sérum calcium, but not sérum magnésium concentrations, were 

 lower after treatment with norethynodrel with mestranol ('Enovid') (Goldsmith, 

 Huggel and Bouvier, 1966). Since the rats studies had required rapid removal 

 of a large fraction of the total blood volume, we undertook an examination of 

 expérimental hemorrhage to résolve the apparent discrepancy in human and ani- 

 mal studies. 



During expérimental hemorrhage, pH levels fall to approximately 7.0, sérum 

 ion concentrations rise and blood clotting is accelerated with a conséquent decresae 

 in fibrinogen levels (Hardaway et al, 1964; Altman and Dittmer, 1961; 

 Hardaway et al, 1962). Increases in platelet numbers and in thromboplastic 

 activity during hemorrhage have been observed but may be dépendent on an 

 intact spleen (Turpini and Stefanini, 1959). 



1 Correspondence : Dr. N. F. Goldsmith, Kaiser Foundation Research Institute Oakland 

 California 94611. 



