Influence of Vitamin A Deficiency upon Intestinal Permeability for Bacteria

Abstract

White rats were fed a diet of casein, cornstarch, salt mixture, dried yeast and butter. In the vitamin A deficiency series the butter was omitted. There were 18 animals in each series and the feeding experiment lasted for 9 and 10 weeks. After 24 hours fasting 3 billion B. typhi murii were administered by stomach tube. Nine animals were killed in an illuminating gas chamber after one half hour and 9 after one hour in both the normal and the avitaminosis series. Specimens of liver and lung, the spleen and one kidney were removed and macerated in broth. Subcultures were made on Endo and plain agar plates after 3, 6, 9, and 24 hours'incubation. One-tenth cubic centimeter of organ-broth suspension was used for subculture. These time intervals were chosen to obtain information upon the relative concentration of the test bacteria in the organs of the animals. The accompanying graph illustrates averages of 18 control and 18 vitamin A deficiency rats at the periods of 3 and 9 hours'incubation of the organ cultures. There are a greater number of animals showing the presence of the test micro-organisms in the organs in the vitamin deficient diet than in the controls at the time intervals of one-half hour and one hour after oral administration. Quantitative studies of the bacteria in the organs will be reported later.