Abstract
Verzár and his collaborators 1 , 2 observed that the extracts of wheat-germs containing vitamin E, when applied intraperitoneally or subcutaneously, bring about the same biological reaction as the hormone from the anterior lobe of pituitary gland, i. e., oestrus and hypertrophy of the uterus (based on precocious activation of ovaries).
The purpose of our experiments was to reproduce Verzár's results and thus to use this phenomenon as a convenient means of standardization of vitamin E preparations,∗ and further to compare the activity of vitamin E with that of pituitary hormone and prolan A. Three active vitamin E preparations were used, the potency of which was proved by the Evans-Burr method.
For testing vitamin E preparations (I and II) 3 groups (6 in each) of infantile female rats (30-35 days) were used. The first and second groups received daily intraperitoneally, for 14 days, 0.3 cc. of vitamin E preparations Nos. I and II, respectively. The third group serving as control received the same amount of olive oil. Experimental and control animals gained in body weight and seemed healthy. No external signs of stimulation of sex development such as hypertrophy and hyperemia of labiae vaginalis and opening of vagina were observed. On dissection also we found no signs of maturity, i. e., neither ripening of follicles nor hypertrophy and hyperemia of uterus and tubes.
Similar tests were made with vitamin E preparations No. Ilia and Illb. Three animals of the first group, and 2 of the second died after receiving 5 doses (0.3 cc.) while the other animals survived as many as 12 doses each. On the fifth day the animals were examined, killed and dissected. The experimental animals lost much weight, the skin of abdominal regions was wet, and the abdomen was distended showing that, when given intraperitoneally, these preparations were toxic.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.