IX. EFFECTS OF DEFICIENCY 663 



5. Dogs 



Before the availability of pure pantothenic acid, several reports in 1939 

 indicated that this vitamin may be important in dog nutrition.^- • 142-144 These 

 studies were ob\'iously complicated with other deficiencies, and it wasn't 

 until Morgan (1941),'^' Schaefer ei al. (1942),i''« Scudi and Hamlin (1942),i*7 

 and Silber (1944)^*^ used pure pantothenic acid that convincing evidence 

 was obtained for its need. Even these diets were inadequate by today's 

 standards, however. 



Pantothenic acid-deficient dogs usually show the following symptoms:"®- 

 1*^ lowered growth rate, decreased appetite, irritability and sudden prostra- 

 tion or coma, rapid respiratory and heart rate, convulsions, gastrointestinal 

 symptoms, and, eventually, death. Spasticity may occur in the hind quar- 

 ters during the last week. The hair of deficient dogs may appear coarser, 

 but there has been no evidence of alopecia, graying, or other skin or hair 

 disorder. The corneal reflex is sluggish at the time of collapse, and there 

 may be excessive salivation. 



Gross examination of tissues of pantothenic acid-deficient dogs revealed 

 fatty livers (as high as 55 % fat), evidence of hemorrhagic kidney degenera- 

 tion in the cortex and medulla, frequently gastritis or enteritis and intus- 

 susception, and possibly mottled thymuses, The occurrence of mottled 

 thymuses and hemorrhagic kidneys has been questioned."^ No histological 

 studies have been presented except preliminary liver pathology."^ 



In addition to these signs, deficient dogs show lowered pantothenic acid 

 content of liver, muscle, brain, and blood, "^ lowered blood sugar,"'' a low- 

 ering of cholesterol, cholesterol esters, lipoid phosphorus, and total lipoids 

 in the blood (correlated with occurrence of liver damage),"^ and possible 

 decreased gastrointestinal motility and poor digestion and absorption of 

 carbohydrate and protein."^ Although hemorrhagic adrenals were not seen 

 in earlier studies,"®- "* Morgan and Guehring^^" stated that they obtained 

 hemorrhagic adrenals in their pantothenic acid-deficient dogs unless 1 % of 

 cholesterol was added to the diet. Fatty livers occurred whether or not 

 cholesterol was fed.^^" 



"2 p. J. Fouts, O. M. Helmer, and S. Lepkovsky, /. Nutrition 19, 393 (1940). 



'" J. M. McKibbin, R. J. Madden, S. Black, and C. A. Elvehjem, Am. J. Physiol. 



128, 102 (1939). 

 »" J. M. McKibbin, S. Black, and C. A. Elvehjem, Am. J. Physiol. 130, 365 (1940). 

 i« A. F. Morgan, Science 93, 261 (1941). 



"" A. E. Schaefer, J. M. McKibbin, and C. A. Elvehjem, J. Biol. Chem. 143, 321 (1942). 

 >" J. V. Scudi and M. Hamlin, /. Nutrition 24, 273 (1942). 

 "8 R. H. Silber, /. Nutrition 27, 425 (1944). 



"9 C. G. Bly, F. W. Heggeness, and E. S. Nasset, J. Nutrition 26, 161 (1943). 

 150 A. F. Morgan and R. R. Guehring, Federation Proc. 10, 226 (1951). 



