Experimental hypersplenism and tissue iron distribution.

A histological study of stainable tissue iron in “normal” and iron-loaded methylcellulose-hypersplenic rats is presented. Normal, iron-treated splenectomized and phenylhydrazine-anaemic subjects were controls. Splenomegalic rats demonstrated increased splenic, unchanged hepatic and decreased marrow iron. Administration of iron resulted in increased haemosiderin in the liver, spleen and marrow of normal and polymer-treated rats. The phagocytic cells sequestering ingested polymer concomitantly stored haemosiderin resulting in the demonstration of Prussian blue-positive foam cells. Methylcellulose splenomegaly is associated with a hypertrophy of the adrenals which appears to be primarily related to factors other than polymer storage in the tissue. Numerous free foam cells are demonstrable in the ascitic fluid of splenomegalic rats.