Agnes Fay Morgan

The effect of vitamin deficiencies on adrenocortical function.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the effect of vitamin deficiencies on adrenocortical function. Adrenocortical function is an expression which refers to the entire series of hormonal activities contributed by the products of the adrenal cortex. These have been identified chiefly by observation of adrenalectomized animals and by the use of extracts of the adrenal cortex, either total or as purified natural steroids obtained from such extracts. At least two and possibly more such hormones are generally believed to exist in the normal gland although some 28 sterols have been separated from cortical extracts. Most of these products are physiologically inactive and are thought to be derivatives of the natural hormones. Six of the identified steroids have demonstrable but varying values for the survival of adrenalectomized animals and for the stimulation of various functions under the control of those hormones. This chapter presents a discussion on the physiologically important adrenocortical hormones, along with describing the effect of various conditions upon the ascorbic acid of the adrenal glands; adrenal hypertrophy and adrenaline production in thiamine deficiency.

The determination of certain properties of β-lactoglobulin and its lactose derivatives

Abstract In an attempt to elucidate further the browning reaction in milk, two purified components, crystalline β -lactoglobulin and lactose, have been reacted in solution. This reaction set in immediately at 53°C., as shown by the rapid formation of fluorescent products. The increase in optical density, depicting further steps in the browning reaction, showed a short lag period and then rapid development. With these changes in physical properties were associated a decrease in free amino and basic groups and a resistance to enzymic digestion, particularly in regard to the release of lysine. In order to ascertain the possible role of cysteine in this reaction, the thiol groups were determined. Native β -lactoglobulin was found to contain 0.50 sulfhydryl groups/10 4 g. or 2 groups/mole. A reduction of these groups was observed in the control experiment and no further destruction was noted upon browning.

Effect of tocopherol feeding on the composition of turkey tissues.

Summary Mixed tocopherols, about one-half α and the rest chiefly γ, fed to 28 female turkeys for 2.5 to 35 days before slaughter at levels 0.01, 0.1, 1 or 2% of the feed produced measurable increases in the tocopherol content of liver, heart, gizzard and muscle. The 0.1% level fed for 35 days produced the most efficient transfer of tocopherol, but the total amount of the supplement retained in this and the other groups was extremely small. The liver usually contained more tocopherol than any other tissue, 23 to 225 mg per kg fresh tissue, the heart contained 28 to 145, the gizzard 15 to 45, the leg muscle 11 to 50, and the breast muscle 8 to 25. Bioassay of liver and leg muscle indicated the presence of a-tocopherol in amounts within 10% of those obtained by the chemical procedure. No relationship was found between the tocopherol and the vit. A and carotene contents of the 15 livers examined. The peroxide numbers of the fat under the skin and the abdominal fat before and after frozen storage for 3: 5, 6, or 9 months were progressively greater with storage and with decreasing amounts of tissue tocopherol. The acceptability of meat and fat and the detection of rancidity to taste by a panel of judges fell in the same order as the peroxide numbers.

Changes in biological value of cereal proteins due to heat treatment.

Young rats taken at weaning were fed diets constituted as follows: Cereal, 95 per cent. Salt mixture, 3 per cent (Osborne & Mendel). Agar, 2 per cent. Cod liver oil, 25 mg. daily fed separately. Dry yeast, 0.5 gram daily fed separately. This mixture should support normal growth provided the intake is sufficient and the quantity and quality of proteins contained in the cereal are adequate. The cereals thus tested were, (1) raw cracked whole wheat, (2) cracked whole wheat cooked with excess of water, (3) cracked whole wheat toasted, (4) bakers white bread, (5) bakers white bread toasted in 1/4-inch slices, (6) crumb of white bread, (7) crust of white bread, (8) puffed wheat, (9) shredded wheat, (10) cream of wheat, (11) puffed rice, (12) raw rice. From four to twelve animals were kept from eight to sixteen weeks on each of these diets, with accurate food intake records. Practically normal growth was obtained upon the raw wheat, water-cooked wheat, white bread, crumb of bread, shredded wheat, cream of wheat. Raw rice gave rather less than normal growth. Very much retarded growth was obtained upon the puffed wheat, puffed rice, toasted wheat, toasted bread and crust diets. There was some variation in food intake, but growth calculated in terms of gain per gram of food, or of protein eaten, indicates definite inferiority of the latter diets. For example, the average gains in grams of body weight per gram of protein eaten during the eight weeks of rapid growth, when the animals were four to twelve weeks of age, were as follows: toast, 1.3; bread, 1.5; cracked wheat, 1.8; puffed wheat, 0.9. No serious differences in protein content exist among these preparations. These figures are quite similar to those obtained by Osborne and Mendel 1 in their comparable study of the nutritive value of cereal proteins.

Leucocyte and Thymus Changes in the Pyridoxine-Deficient Young and Adult Male Rat.

Summary Specific involution of the thymus resulted from pyridoxine deficiency in rats and could be distinguished from the atrophy resulting from inanition alone. Inanition induced lymphopenia of the same degree in young and adult pyridoxine-deficient animals and their respective pair weighed controls. Granulocytosis occurred only in the pyridoxine-deficient young and adult animals. All blood and thymus changes were rapidly restored to normal following realimentation of the deficient and pair weighed adult animals.

Eosinopenic responses of pyridoxine-deficient rats to epinephrine, adrenocorticotropic hormone and hypoxia.

Summary Eosinopenic responses following, 1) hypoxia treatment, and 2) epinephrine injections, both in the intact rat, and 3) ACTH injections in the intact and in the hypophysectomized rat were of equal magnitude in the pyridoxine-deficient, pair weighed and normal animals. The significance of these findings is discussed

Cataract- and Dermatitis-Producing Nutritional Factors

Cataract has been produced experimentally by parathyroidectomy, pancreatectomy, vitamin G-low diets, 1 lactose-rich 2 and galactose-containing 3 diets. In human subjects dinitrophenol has been reported as likewise cataract-producing. The difficulty of reconciling these diverse precipitating conditions is great, and in fact may not be possible. However, it is interesting to speculate upon the possible interrelation of the 2 obviously nutritional factors, vitamin G (B2) and lactose. The delay in, or interference with, complete absorption accompanying the presence of large amounts of lactose or galactose in the intestine and the frequent gastro-intestinal absorption difficulties in clinical conditions associated with vitamin G deficiency, for example pellagra, pernicious anemia and sprue, offer a possible common avenue of attack upon the problem. The present study was planned to test the bearing of such absorption-disturbances upon the production of cataract, of dermatitis and of growth-abnormality. The diets used are of the usual vitamin-testing type containing casein purified by repeated extraction with 60% alcohol and varying chiefly in the carbohydrate fraction and in the supplement.

Weight, Ascorbic Acid and Cholesterol Changes in Adrenals of Pyridoxine-Deficient Adult Male Rat

Summary Two days after hypophysectomy, the pyridoxine-deficient rat treated with ACTH had the same amount of adrenal ascorbic acid depletion and adrenal weight increase as did the pair weighed and ad libitum controls but like these controls no decrease in adrenal cholesterol. When intact animals were subjected to hypoxia, however, the pyridoxine-deficient group, although able to maintain adrenal weights and adrenal ascorbic acid content as did the pair weighed and ad libitum groups, clearly failed to show the adrenal cholesterol depletion characteristic of the latter groups. The depletion of adrenal cholesterol is apparently not controlled by the same mechanism involved in adrenal hypertrophy and adrenal ascorbic acid depletion.

Growth of Dogs on Purified Diet Plus Aureomycin and/or Vit. B12

Summary Eleven young cocker spaniels from 2 litters were fed from weaning for 20 weeks a purified complete diet which had been shown previously to produce optimum growth. Vit. B12 at the level of 5 μg%, aureomycin hydrochloride at the level of 10 mg% or both these substances were added to the diet of some of the animals. No differences resulted in nitrogen retention or in the nitrogenous constituents of the blood of any of the dogs. Two of the 3 dogs which received vit. B12, 3 of the 4 which received both vit. B12 and aureomycin and one of the 2 which received only aureomycin gained more weight per 100 g food than did the 2 controls and the 3 others. These overgrown dogs had greater total gains, greater empty carcass weights, lower body specific gravity, more carcass fat, and more fat-rich adipose tissue than the 5 others. However, the fat-free carcasses were not significantly heavier. It is concluded that better food utilization may result in dogs in some cases from the addition of vit. B12 and/or aureomycin to a complete purified diet and that this growth is due solely to increased fat deposition.

Development of Vitamin A During Ripening of Tomatoes.

In the progress of an inquiry into the conditions under which vitamin A is developed in plants a comparison was made of the vitamin A content of tomatoes ripened under various conditions. The tomatoes were of the variety called San Jose Canner and were supplied us by J. T. Rosa of the University Farm, Davis, California. They were plucked from the vines when green but completely matured, and were divided into 6 lots. One lot, designated lot 1, was ground at once, placed in small air tight glass jars fitted with outlet and inlet glass tubes, the air from which was evacuated and released with carbon dioxide 4 or 5 times. The jars were then stored at 17 degrees below zero centigrade. This process of preparation and storage was used to ensure as much freedom from oxidation as possible during the testing period. The other lots of tomatoes were similarly treated after being ripened as follows: lot 2, ripened in diffused light; lot 3, ripened in the dark; lot 4, ripened in ethylene, 1:2000 parts for 1 week 1 ; lot 5, ripened in the dark except for 3 periods of ultra-violet irradiation of 30 minutes each at 12 inches distance from the arc. Temperature, ventilation and humidity were kept constant during ripening for all lots, a precaution indicated by the work of Duggar. 2 In addition lot 6 was later taken from the vines in the ripened condition. An attempt was made to allow all specimens of the fruit to ripen to a uniform color by comparison with Tallquist hemoglobin standards, but the results were not satisfactory since all the tomatoes with the exception of lot 4, showed varied degrees of redness in different parts of the same fruit. The ethyleneripened specimens, lot 4, were uniformly colored a deep red, the tint of the deepest colored portions of the other fruits. The ripening period occupied 10 days in diffused light, 19 days in the dark, 7 days in ethylene, and 27 days for the ultra-violet treated lot. The oxidase contents of all specimens were determined but these were found to exhibit no significant differences.