89. THE VITAMINS, THEIR FUNCTIONS, SIGNS OF DEFICIENCY AND 

 EXCESS: MAN AND OTHER VERTEBRATES (Continued) 



vitamin D (Concluded) 



UO 



11= 



12C 



125 



lEL 



tubules . 

 Maintains aliallne phospho- 



tase at the bone site. 

 The vitamin Is particularly 



effective during the 



period of rapid skeletal 



grovth. 



Signs of Deficiencjr'- 



HI 



Blood: Hypercalcemia, 



hyperphosphatonia . 

 Mineral Metabolism: Depo 

 sition of Ca salts in 

 various organs, arteries 

 and arterioles; meta- 

 static calcification may 

 occur without hypercal- 

 cemia in the dog. 

 Bone: Dense calcification 

 in zone of provisional 

 calcification in long 

 bone metaphyses at the 

 expense of diaphyseal 

 calcification, in Infants and growing young (Man). 

 Renal: Ca deposits vlth resulting Mdney damage and renal dysfunctionj increased 



urinary excretion of Ca and P. 

 Other: Continued hypervitamlnosls leads to death. Since vitamin D Is stored, 

 excessive doses may be cumulative. Hypercalcemia, hl^ urinary Ca and renal 

 damage have been noted eight months after treatment (125,000-unlt doses dally). 



stress and posturej Increased thickness of bone shaft; 

 osteooalacia: decalcification, fragility of non-growing 

 bone. 



Teeth: Faulty calcification, most frequent in the perma- 

 nent dentition; defects difficult to dlBtinguish from 

 deficiencies of vitamins A and C. 



Mineral metabolism: Hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia; de- 

 rangement of Ca and P deposition in bone matrix and 

 teeth. 



Blood plasma: Increase in plaaaa phosphatase. 



Muscle: Myasthenia; atony, skeletal and gut muscle. 



Neuromuscular: Tet«wy, convialslons, spasmodic closure of 

 glottis (Man, rat) . 



Signs of Excess 



EC 



(Alpha-, beta-, delta- 



VTTAMIN E^ 

 ganma-tocopherols; anti -sterility factor) 



Required by cattle, dog, guinea pig, hamster, mink, mouse, rabbit, rat, swine, chicken, duck, turkey, 

 cance, if any. In human nutrition, has not yet been established. 



Slgolfi- 



.1^ 



L30 



L35 



LllO 



LU5 



3aE 



Biological anti -oxidant; 

 protects unsaturated 

 fatty acldB, vitamin A 

 against peroxidation. 

 PartlclpetcB in oxida- 

 tion-reduction reactions. 



Signs of Deflclency^^ 



HE 



Signs of Excess 



-JcT 



Reproductive organs: Irreparable degeneration of the tes- 

 ticular geminal epithelium; testicular degeneration with 

 decrease in weight of testes (Bull, mouse, rat, chicken); 

 uterine necrosis, seminal vesicle necrosis (Rat) . 

 Reproduction: Resorptive failure of pregnancy after death 

 of the fetus, in severe deficiency; prolonged gestation 

 with still -birth or death postpartum of the newborn. In 

 moderate deficiency (Rat). Reproductive failure (Swine). 



Reduced egg hatchabillty, death of the embryo (Chicken). L 



Muscular: Acute muscle degeneration with swelling, hyaliniiation, necrosis of striated muscle and (in scne 

 j species) cardiac muscle (Dog, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, rat, chicken, duck). Isolated degeneration of 

 I smooth muscle of gizzard (Turkey). 



' Neural: Acute encephalomalacla, degeneration of the cerebellum, nerve cell degeneration (Chick). 

 I Neurcnuscular : Ataxia, tremors, weakness, opisthotonos (retraction of head--chicken) . Paralysis (suckling 

 I rat, bom of vitamin E deficient mother). 

 ) Urine: Creatlnurla. 



I Vascular: Generalized exudative diathesis (Chick). 

 ! Liver: Necrosis, degeneration (Mouse, rat, swine). 

 Metabolic: Increased oxygen uptake, in vitro, of muscle tissue from vitamin E deficient individuals 



(Hamster, rabbit, rat). 



/l/ Deficiency signs, when not irreversible, may be alleviated and the animal restored to health by administration of 

 therapeutic doses of the vitamin. /lO/ Some causes of deficiency signs, other than dietary deficiency of the vltaadn, 

 are: any factor Impairing digestion or absorption of fat, as Inflannation of intestinal mucosa, sprue, or chronic diar- 

 rhea; excessive Ingestion of mineral oil; relatively greater requirement during pregnancy and lactation. /15/ The fol- 

 lowing therapeutic uses for vitamin E have been noted: treatment of skin collagenoses (man); protects against nutritional 

 encephalcmalacia (chlckJt experimentally protects against such toxic agents as carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, alloxan; 

 cures and prevents the muscle lesions which develop in young of vitamin E deficient mothers (guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, 

 rat, duckling) and of older rat on vitamin E deficient diets. 



158 



