Immunophoretic Evaluation of Blood Serum Proteins in Chickens. III. Effects of Nutritional Myopathy-Producing Diets Deficient in Vitamin E and Sulfur Amino Acids. ∗

Abstract

Summary and Conclusions

1. Eleven one-day-old chickens were placed on diets deficient in vitamin E or any synthetic antioxi-dant and on sulfur amino acids. Eight chickens of the same hatch were kept on normal stock diets for comparison. All of the experimental chickens developed paralyses of breast muscles, and weakness of leg muscles in from 6 to 8 weeks. Normal chickens were free from symptoms. Both sets of chickens were sacrificed at the same time. Blood sera, obtained by cardiac puncture, were examined by immunophoresis, using anti-chicken serum antibodies in rabbit serum. 2. Significant im-munophoretic finding was the persistence of a precipitation curve in the beta lipoprotein mobility range in sera of experimental chickens, which is normally not found in chickens of the same age. The remainder of the im-munophoretic preparations pattern was alike in experimental and normal sera. 3. Interpretation of the altered serum protein in chronic vit E-deficient chickens is discussed in terms of altered lipid metabolism.