PANTOTHENIC ACID 



the vitamin B complex. Alopecia has also been observed in piebald 

 rats fed a pmified diet deficient in pantothenic acid, and was accom- 

 panied by mild generalised scaling of the paws and tail and pattern- 

 greying.^^ The dermatitis and pattern-greying, but not the scaliness 

 of the paws and tail, were cured by pantothenic acid. According to 

 L. R. Richardson and A. G. Hogan,^^ the dermatitis was cured by 

 pyridoxine and pantothenic acid together but not by either separately. 



Haemorrhages and Degeneration of the Adrenal Glands in Rats 



Another symptom observed in pantothenic acid-deficient rats, and 

 possibly specifically associated with this deficiency, is " blood-caked 

 whiskers ".^» ^' This was accompanied by haemorrhages under the 

 skin and in the adrenal cortex. A condition analogous to blood-caked 

 whiskers, due to the secretion of porphyrin from the lachrymal glands 

 was induced in rats by restricting the water intake to 25 to 50 % of 

 normal.^^ Since the adrenal cortex is known to regulate water 

 metabolism, it seems likely that blood-caked whiskers may be a 

 secondary symptom due to degeneration of the adrenals, which was 

 observed in pantothenic acid-deficient rats by Daft et al.}^ in addition 

 to epistaxis, ocular exudates, " spectacled eyes " and loss of hair. 

 According to L. L. Ashburn ^^ the adrenals in such cases showed con- 

 gestion, haemorrhage, atrophy, necrosis, fibrosis and cortical fat 

 depletion. The spleen and pancreas were normal, however, though 

 testicular function was impaired and the upper epiphyseal cartilage 

 showed hypoplasia. These symptoms disappeared or decreased in 

 severity on administration of pantothenic acid, whereas untreated 

 controls grew worse. 



The occurrence of adrenal haemorrhage and necrosis in pantothenic 

 acid-deficient rats was confirmed by W. D. Salmon and R. W. Engel,^^ 

 by Supplee et al.^"^ and by Ugami et alP However, the addition of 

 adrenal cortex extract, desoxycorticosterone acetate, thyroid or 

 anterior pituitary extract failed to cure the symptoms of pantothenic 

 acid deficiency.^* Pantothenic acid-deficient rats, unlike animals 

 maintained on an adequate diet, did not exhibit lymphopenia two 

 hours after either swimming or the administration of adrenocortico- 

 tropic hormone, indicating that changes in the adrenal cortex are 

 brought about by pantothenic acid deficiency.-^" 



Other Symptoms in Rats 



S. W. Lippincott and H. P. Morris -^ reported that the adrenals of 

 pantothenic acid-deficient rats were normal, but noted myelin de- 

 generation of the sciatic nerve and spinal cord. This supported the 

 earlier claim of P. H. Phillips and R. W. Engel -^ that pantothenic 



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