Influence of the Maternal Diet on Concentration of Hemoglobin of Nursing Young of Albino Rat. ∗

Abstract

In a recent communication 1 we have reported on “Blood Formation of the Albino Rat on a Standard Dietary Regime”, of the following composition: whole wheat, 25; rolled oats, 26; yellow corn, 25; oil meal, 15; commercial casein, 5; cod liver oil, 1; CaCO₃, 0.5; NaCl, 0.5; and a liberal supply of whole milk daily. On that ration, designated as stock diet 1, we found the concentration of hemoglobin of nursing baby rats appreciably below that reported by Williamson and Ets. 2 We are now finding considerably higher values on a different type of diet, designated as ration 1145, of the following composition: casein (purified) 20; dehydrated baker's yeast (Northwestern), 10; McCollum's salt mixture No. 185, 4; butter fat, 5; and dextrin, 61. Our findings are submitted graphically in Chart I.

All the lactating mothers were raised on stock diet 1. During the reproduction period the females were divided into 3 groups. One group was mated and allowed to rear the young on stock diet 1; another group was transferred during the later part of pregnancy to ration 1145; and the third group was transferred to ration 1145 on the date of the birth of young.

The curve of hemoglobin concentration of nursing young on maternal stock diet 1 represents 416 determinations. 1 For our work on maternal diet 1145 we made 432 determinations, 18 young having been taken for each age. Since we found no significant increase in the concentration of hemoglobin of the nursing young, whose mothers received ration 1145 during the latter part of gestation compared with that of the nurslings whose mothers received the same diet on the date of birth of the litters, we are showing only the figures of the latter group.