534 



Scientific Proceedings (132) 



266 (2226) 



The effect of germanium dioxide on red cell regeneration in 

 experimental anemia. 



By MEYER BODANSKY (by invitation). 



[From the Biochemical Laboratory, Department of Physiology and 

 Biochemistry, Cornell University Medical College, Ithaca, N. Y.] 



Hammett, Nowrey and Miiler, 1 Hammett and Nowrey 2 and 

 Miiller and Iszard 3 have reported that germanium dioxide stimu- 

 lates red cell formation. These authors experimented almost ex- 

 clusively with normal animals, chiefly rats and guinea pigs. In 

 view of the suggested therapeutic use of germanium dioxide in 

 the treatment of anemia, we investigated the effect of this com- 

 pound in a number of animals which had been previously made 

 anemic with methyl-phenyl-hydrazine, symmetrical di-iso- 

 propyl-hydrazine 2-2' azobis-propane and other derivatives of 

 hydrazine. 



In the case of dogs, the usual course of recovery from anemia 

 is irregular and varies considerably in different animals. To 

 some extent this is due to temperamental differences in individual 

 dogs and to the inability of certain of these animals to maintain 

 themselves in nitrogen equilibrium. For these reasons, we ex- 

 perienced some difficulty in controlling adequately all of our ex- 

 periments with germanium. 



However, the evidence adduced thus far shows that the 

 erythropoietic action of germanium dioxide, whenever such 

 effect occurs, is transitory. The administration of germanium 

 dioxide over a prolonged period does not appear to alter the 

 degree of red cell regeneration occurring without the use of this 

 compound. Not infrequently, a decrease in the red cell count 

 may follow an injection of germanium dioxide. Where a tem- 

 porary erythrocythemia was observed in our animals, there 

 was no corresponding increase in the percentage of hemoglobin. 



The appended chart is illustrative of the effect produced by 



1 Hammett, F. S., Nowrey, J. E., and Miiller, J. H., J. Exp. Med., 1922, 

 xxxv, 173. 



2 Hammett, F. 8,, and Nowrey, J. E., Ibid, 507. 



3 Miiller, J. EL, and Iszard, M., Am. J. Med. Sci., 1022, clxiii, 364. 



