The effects on Wistar rat body weight were examined after a single subcutaneous (s.c.) or oral (p.o.) administration of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposomes composed of soybean-derived sterols (SS) and their glucosides (SG) with or without entrapping recombinant human erythropoietin (Epo) for 1 week. Body weight increased significantly after both types of administration compared with the control groups irrespective of the existence of Epo. The neutral lipid concentration in plasma increased with the increase in body weight whereas the total contents of cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol in the plasma did not change significantly. The SS and SG suspensions following p.o. administration, however, did not alter the body weight. These findings suggest that liposomal SS and SG may be absorbed through the intestinal membrane and induce a change in the uptake of lipid, in contrast to the suspension state. SS in liposomes significantly increased body weight more than SG after p.o. administration.

SUMMARYThere was a distinct correlation in the results of determination of blood plasma fibrinogen between the method using salting-out and nephelometry (SN method) and the tyrosine method. The SN method was of high reproducibility and available for determination of blood plasma fibrinogen in cattle and dogs.Blood plasma samples obtained with seven conventionally used anticoagulants could be employed for the SN method.When sodium citrate solution was applied to this method, the fibrinogen determined .was lower in level than that determined by the method with any one of the seven anticoagulants.The SN method was applicable to the veterinary practice, since it required a shorter time and simpler techniques for determination than the tyrosine method.