Long term effects of intravenous infusion of fluorocarbon blood substitute in dogs

Biochemical and morphological changes 1 year after iv fluorocarbon emulsions (FCE) 20 mL/kg in dogs were studied. No serious disturbances in hematology, cytogenetics, liver and kidney function were seen. The major finding was the persistence of numerous foam cells in liver, spleen, lymph nodes, lungs, kidneys and bone marrow. Most of the FC granules were engulfed by macrophages in the reticuloendothelial system. On month after iv FCE, the total number of foam cells increased rapidly, then gradually decreased, and disappeared 1 year after iv FCE, but many FC granules existed in cells of organs especially spleen. The foam cells may be derived from reticulum cells or Kupffer’s cells. There were a large number of vesicles in the cytoplasm which contained low-density granules,corresponding to FC granules, about 0.1-1.0 microm in diameter. The data suggest that FCE is inert and not toxic to the cells. There were no secondary histopathologic changes caused by FC deposition. It seems that FCE 20 mL/kg iv is rather safe in dogs.