SYSTEMIC EFFECT OF CHITIN AFTER INTRAVENOUS ADMINISTRATION TO DOGS

The systemic effect of chitin and chitin oligomer after intravenous ad ministration was investigated in dogs by determining the chemiluminesc ence (CL) response and the white blood cell count (WBC). Chitin oligom er (2 mg/kg) and physiological saline (5 mi) did not have a systemic e ffect. However, in the dogs injected with chitin, WBC decreased signif icantly from 1 to 4 h after injection and then increased gradually to 1.4 times the pre-injection level at 72 h, while CL was significantly increased 1-2 h after injection. Copyright (C) 1997 Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.