Abstract
It was reported that in vitamin B deficiency of the weaned albino rat, there is produced a relative lymphopenia and corresponding polymorphonuclear leucocytosis 1 which is due to the specific effect of this avitaminosis 2 unrelated to the plane of nutrition.
In this investigation a study was made of the influence of vitamin B deficiency on the differential leucocyte count of the lactating albino rat and its nursing young. Forty-seven mothers and litters were employed, 21 of which were pathological and 26 of which served as controls. The biological methods used have been previously described. 3 The experiments were set out in pairs and triads, so that the results could be interpreted as due to inanition or to the vitamin B deficiency per se. 3
In lactation studies of the rat complicating factors arise that are not encountered in growth. For instance, since it is impossible to obtain sufficient milk from nursing rats for biological studies, the criterion of lactation performances is the character of growth of the nursing young, which is correlated with a limiting factor in the diet. Satisfactory technique has not yet, however, been perfected, so that it is possible to know, in the later stages of the nursing period, to what extent the nurslings are deriving their nourishment from the mother's milk and to what extent their daily nutritional requirements are being supplemented by the maternal diet which is accessible to them. For such reasons, we frequently encounter irregular results in biochemical studies of avitaminotic rats during lactation. A summary of all the results discloses that in vitamin B deficiency there is generally a relative lymphopenia and corresponding polymorphonuclear leucocytosis in the lactating albino rat and nursing young, and, while in some groups a specific effect of vitamin B deficiency on such changes was apparent, in the majority of cases this was due to great losses of weight associated with inanition.
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