184 PTEROYLGLUTAMIC ACID 



Streptococcus hemolyticus Group C and to influenza virus A administered 

 intranasally was likewise increased in contrast with controls on normal 

 diets." 



d. Requirements of the Monkey 



Daily injections of 0.1 to 0.2 mg. of PGA produced a reticulocyte response 

 of about 7 %.^^ This apparently represents the minimum amount that will 

 elicit a response. In a separate investigation Day et al.^^ found that totals 

 of 4 and 4.5 mg. of pteroyltriglutamic acid given in divided doses over 4 to 

 5 days produced reticulocyte responses of 10 and 8 % with prompt elevation 

 of the total white cells and granulocytes. 



Cooperman et al.^^ reported that daily administration of 100 7 of PGA 

 produced a rise in white cells and a gain in weight in deficient monkeys. 

 No marked rise in hemoglobin occurred. Two hundred micrograms of 

 vitamin Be conjugate (pteroylheptaglutamate) produced less of a response 

 in one animal than 100 7 of PGA. The monkey is obviously able, however, 

 to utilize some of the conjugate in yeast, since a sample of yeast which was 

 found to be low in free PGA (measured by >S. faecalis R) was a good source 

 of vitamin M for monkeys.^* This same sample of yeast was subsequently 

 shown to contain PGA conjugate because its activity for >S. faecalis was 

 increased by digestion with rat liver enzyme. ^^ Day and Totter^^ have re- 

 ported the minimum daily protective dose of 100 7 on their basal diet which 

 furnished an additional 20 7 per day. However, with a purified type of diet 

 Smith and Elvehjem^^ obtained normal growth and blood cell formation 

 with 100 7 per day. The minimum protective dose was not established. 



It is of interest to compare the PGA requirements of the monkey and the 

 human. In pernicious anemia the minimal effective curative dose is ap- 

 proximately 5 mg. per day. On a body weight basis this would correspond 

 to approximately 0.2 mg. per day for a 3-kg. monkey. 



e. Monkey Anti-Anemia Factor 



The existence of an anti-anemia factor for monkeys has been postulated 

 by Cooperman et al.^^ The evidence is based largely on the failure of PGA 

 at levels of 100 7 per day to completely restore the blood picture in mon- 

 keys which have been depleted on a PGA-deficient diet containing the 



" H. E. Wilson, S. Saslaw, and C. A. Doan, /. Lab. Clin. Med. 31, 631 (1946). 



«* P. L. Day, V. Mims, J. R. Totter, E. L. R. Stokstad, B. L. Hutchings, and N. H. 



Sloane, /. Biol. Chem. 157, 423 (1945). 

 ^^ J. M. Cooperman, C. A. Elvehjem, K. B. McCall, and W. R. Ruegamer, Proc. Soc. 



Expil. Biol. Med. 61, 92 (1946). 

 " V. Mims, J. R. Totter, and P. L. Day, J. Biol. Chem. 155, 401 (1944). 

 68 P. L. Day and J. R. Totter, /. Nutrition 36, 803 (1948). 

 63 S. C. Smith and C. A. Elvehjem, /. Nutrition 45, 47 (1951). 



