Studies in the physiology of vitamins. IV. Parenteral administration of products containing vitamin-B—mammalian experiments

Abstract

That relief from the symptoms due to a lack of vitamin-B in pigeons may be brought about in a very short time by intramuscular injection of products containing this vitamin has been shown by many investigators. Studies of parenteral administrations of vitamin-B to mammals do not appear to have been made. In the course of our studies into the physiology of this vitamin, using dogs as experimental animals, the protein-free concentrate of vitamin-B from yeast as prepared by the Harris Laboratories was used, sufficient amounts of this product being generously furnished by Dr. I. Harris.

Intravenous injections of a neutral aqueous solution of this product into dogs showing severe nervous symptoms (clonic spasms, etc.) due to a lack of vitamin-B resulted in a complete cessation of such symptoms, in one instance within a half hour, and in another case within three hours after the injection. In a third instance the relief from symptoms occurred after a longer period. An intravenous injection of the vitamin-containing product was also made into an animal which had lost its appetite after subsisting on the vitamin-free food for a period of days but which showed none of the nervous symptoms characteristic of vitamin-B deficiency. The injection was followed by a complete recovery of appetite which lasted six (6) days.

Intraperitoneal injections were also made. Such an injection, while bringing about relief from nervous symptoms in all cases, did not prevent death from supervening from ten (10) to twelve (12) hours later in those instances where large amounts of material were injected. A control injection into a normal animal resulted in phenomena indicating that the fatal outcome in the instances cited was probably due to the too sudden introduction of large amounts of material and the effect of this procedure on the tissues within the peritoneal cavity.