The Experimental Production of Splenomegaly, Anemia and Leukopenia in Albino Rats

Abstract The intraperitoneal administration of methyl cellulose into rats over a period of fifteen weeks resulted in the development of a syndrome characterized by massive splenomegaly, hyperplasia of the bone marrow elements, normocytic, normochromic anemia, reticulocytosis, leukopenia, a mild thrombocytopenia in 9 of the 10 animals, ascites, and infiltration of the spleen, liver and kidneys with "storage-cell" macrophages. The administration of methyl cellulose to rats previously splenectomized produced similar histologic lesions but failed to produce the hematologic abnormalities. It is suggested that the syndrome produced by methyl cellulose may represent an experimental form of the process to which, in man, the term "secondary hypersplenism" has been applied.