Changes in Blood Proaccelerin (Factor V) in Rats with Intestinal Strangulation Obstruction

Summary

1. In a group of rats with experimentally arranged strangulation obstruction of the small intestine there ocurred a marked temporary rise in blood fibrinogen during the first 2–4 days after the operation. A marked increase in circulating thrombocytes was also seen in these animals. In a control group of sham-operated animals the blood fibrinogen level and the number of circulating thrombocytes increased much less.

2. The proaccelerin-accelerin value in the blood of the animals with strangulation obstruction increased markedly during the first 2–4 days after the operation. The increase was greater than that observed in the group of sham-operated animals.

3. In the animals with strangulation obstruction, but not in the sham-operated animals, there occurred a fall in the accelerin capacity of the blood. This fall coincided with the rise in the proaccelerin-accelerin value of the blood, as measured directly.

4. It is concluded that some transformation of proaccelerin to accelerin or an accelerin-like intermediate is occurring in vivo in the rats with strangulation obstruction. The peritoneal fluid produced by the strangulated segment of intestine can cause transformation of proaccelerin to accelerin in vitro. This fluid, which is reabsorbed from the peritoneum, may be responsible for the observed transformation in vivo as well.

5. The accelerin produced by strangulation fluid may not be identical with the accelerin produced by thrombin.

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