Effects of Calcium Deficiency and Pyridoxin Deficiency on Thymic Atrophy (Accidental Involution)

Abstract

Summary

In male albino rats (8 weeks of age) exposed to a number of adverse dietary conditions, an approximately linear relationship was found between the amount of body neiqht deficit and the thymus weight deficit. There were 2 exceptions from this apparent rule: (1) in pyridoxin deficiency, the amount of thymus weight deficit was much greater than expected from the obtained body weight deficit; (2) in calcium deficiency an opjmsite effect was observed. Here the thymi of undersized animals were of the same weight as those of younger, normal animals of the same body weight.