Relation of Pantothenic Acid to Dermatitis of the Rat ∗

Abstract

Richardson and Hogan 1 demonstrated that rat dermatitis (acro-dynia) is prevented or cured by an aqueous extract of yeast or rice bran, and by certain oils. The activity of the aqueous extracts was ascribed to the presence of a vitamin, presumably the one later designated as vitamin B₆. Since this communication is not immediately concerned with oils our observations, and those of other workers, 2 on their protective action will not be described. Birch 3 reported that two factors are required to prevent or cure acrodynia. One is vitamin B₆, the other is one of the essential unsaturated fatty acids. Gyorgy and Eckhardt 4 obtained complete protection with a combination of vitamin B₆ and various filtrates after fuller's earth adsorption. Under our experimental conditions both pantothenic acid and vitamin B₆ are required to cure this type of rat dermatitis, but additional time will be required to determine whether the cure is permanent.

The rats receive a ration of casein 20, sucrose 71, cellulose 3, cod liver oil 2, and salts 4, supplemented with 0.2 mg thiamin and 0.4 nig riboflavin per 100 g of food. After mild dermatitis developed vitamin B₆ was supplied to Group I, pantothenic acid to Group II, and both were supplied to Group III.

Group IV contained three rats that had become moribund on vitamin B₆ and were then rescued with sodium pantothenate. Our observations are summarized in Table I.

All rats that received vitamin B₆ improved, but 9 of them had a recurrence within an average of 15 days. Of the other 2, one has been receiving vitamin B₆ for 12, the other for 30 days. Of the rats that received a pantothenic acid salt, 2 were cured. One of these was normal at death and the other had a mild recurrence of the dermatitis at the last observation.