Coelomic fluid and blood serum proteins of the metamorphosing bullfrog tadpole.
Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpoles were divided into four groups containing Gosner ('60) stages as follows: I, 27-31; II, 32-36; III, 37-41; IV, 42-46. Extractable coelomic fluid volume from late metamorphic tadpoles (Group IV) was found to have a highly significant (p less than 0.001) negative correlation with stage; tadpole weight also had a negative correlation with stage (p less than 0.025). No significant correlation was found between coelomic fluid volume and tadpole weight. Group IV blood serum protein levels (x = 1.30 +/- SEM 0.10 G/100 ml serum) were shown to be significantly higher than corresponding coelomic fluid serum protein levels (x = 0.80 +/- 0.06 G/100 ml). Electrophoresis data demonstrated an increase in the albumin fraction of both blood serum and coelomic fluid during metamorphosis. I-125 labeled human serum albumin equilibrated with the blood serum at equal concentrations about ten hours after an intracoelomic injection. A coelomic fluid turnover time fo 26% per hour was calculated from the tracer data. We hypothesize that a slight sieving occurs at the coelomic fluid inflow site with none at the outflow site.