Grace Fiala

Recovery of thiamine injected into the rat cecum.

Summary Rats receiving a thiamine-free diet and with coprophagy prevented were administered thiamine by injection directly into the cecum. Lack of growth response indicated little or no absorption of the injected thiamine from the large intestine. Recovery from feces of the injected thiamine showed a loss equivalent to approximately 4 μg per day. It has been concluded that this represents the rate of destruction of thiamine in the large intestine. The inclusion of penicillin in the diet did not alter the absorbability nor did it affect the rate of destruction of thiamine in the large intestine.

Response of anemic chicks to peteroylglutamic acid.

Summary Chicks deprived of pteroylglutamic acid (folic acid) for the first 4 weeks of life respond dramatically to a single administration of the vitamin given either orally or intramuscularly. The reticulocyte response preceded hemoglobin increase and reached a peak 4 to 6 days following administration. Intramuscular injection of pteroylglutamic acid was more than twice as effective as the same amount administered orally. The hemoglobin increase in 7 days was proportional to the amount of pteroylglutamic acid administered either by mouth or by intramuscular injection.