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Influence of Incandescent and of Fluorescent Lights on Calcification in the Chick
RESEARCH NOTES
CONCLUSION
Of the estrogens tested the dimethyl ether of diethylstilbestrol is the most
potent when orally administered and should be most suitable for use in fattening rations. R. GEORGE JAAP R. H. THAYER Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station Stillwater Received for publication February 26, 1944. REFERENCES
Davis, D. E. and L. V. Domm, 1943. Essays in Biology, University of Calif. Press, p. 169. Flock, Eunice V. and Jesse L. Bollman, 1942. J. Biol. Chem. 144:571. Hainan, E. T. and E. M. Cruickshank, 1933. 5th World's Poultry Congress, Rome, 2nd Section, No. 54. Herrick, E. H., 1944. Poultry Sci. 23:65. Lorenz, F . W., 1938. J. Biol. Chem. 126:763. Lorenz, F. W., 1943. Poultry Sci. 22:190. . Sondern, C. W., J. L. Sealey and P. L. Karstonis, 1941. Endocrinology 28, p. 849. Zondek, B. and L. Max, 1939. Arch. Int. Pharm v Ther. 41:77.
INFLUENCE OF INCANDESCENT AND OF FLUORESCENT LIGHTS ON CALCIFICATION IN THE CHICK The possible influence of light on calcification presents a problem to those concerned with the establishment or operation of laboratories for the assay of vitamin D. The U.S.P. method of assay for vitamin D (1939) specifies, "During the assay period all conditions of environment (particularly with reference to physiologically active radiations) shall be maintained as uniformly as possible with respect to the assay and reference groups." The A.O.A.C. tentative method for vitamin D for poultry (1940) specifies, " . . . and keep chicks away from sunshine or other sources of actinic light that may influence calcification." Many laboratories go to the extreme of keeping vitamin D assay rooms in nearly complete darkness. This tends to make
the work more difficult and it may reduce feed consumption of chicks. Observations at this laboratory seem to indicate that light rays which pass through window glass have no influence upon calcification in the chick, although they may have a little effect in the rat. The effect of room lighting has received relatively little attention. Loy (1939) says that clear glass lamps do have an antirachitic value for chicks. He found that a 60 watt clear glass bulb placed inside the battery compartment produced calcification equivalent to that obtained from feeding 15 A.O.A.C. units of vitamin D per 100 grams of feed. He considered inside frosted bulbs to be safe for ordinary illumination in the vitamin D assay room. Information was desired on the possible
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on May 10, 2015
with 0.5 mg. intramuscular injection in younger pullets on alternate days over a period of 22 days is probably much greater. The fact that the treated pullets increased in weight more rapidly than the controls demonstrates the absence of toxic effects in doses as large as 25 mg. per day. At the suggestion of Dr. C. W. Sondern of the George A. Breon & Co., a dimethyl ether and a dipropionate of diethylstilbestrol were tested orally on female chicks (lot V). Contrary to expectation (cf. Sondern et al. 1941) the dimethyl ether of diethylstilbestrol was found to be a potent estrogen when fed to chickens. Whether this potency of the methyl ether compound may be attributed to reabsorption from the urine in the cloaca of the bird must be further tested.
251
252
RESEARCH NOTES TABLE 1.—Influence of incandescent and of fluorescent lights on calcification in the chick
Pen No.
Supplement
3065 3066 3067 3068 3069 3070 3071 3093
None 43.5 mgms. Ref. C.L.O. #2 per 100 gms. 87.0 mgms. Ref. C.L.O. #2 per 100 gms. 130.4 mgms. Ref. C.L.O. #2 per 100 gms. 130.4 mgms. Ref. C.L.O. #2 per 100 gms. 173.9 mgms. Ref. C.L.O. #2 per 100 gms. 173.9 mgms. Ref. C.L.O. #2 per 100 gms. Exposed to 25 watt inside frosted bulb inside battery compartment Exposed to 14 watt fluorescent tube inside battery compartment
3094
Percent ash in dry, fat-free tibiae
grams 72 87 103 107 105 136 117
30.69 33.25 34.32 39.72 39.14 41.22 42.58
81
32.27
113
42.18
of vitamin D per 100 grams of feed. It may be concluded that fluorescent lights should not be used in rooms where vitamin D assay work is conducted. It is possible, too, that some benefits might be obtained from routine use of fluorescent lights for morning and evening illumination of poultry houses. GEORGE B. WIIXGEROTH JAMES C. FRITZ Borden's Nutritional Research Laboratory, Elgin, Illinois. Received for publication February 28, 1944. REFERENCES
Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, 1940. Official and Tentative Methods of Analysis, 5th ed., pp. 371, Washington, D. C. Committee of Revision, 1939. U. S. Pharmacopeia X I , Second Supplement, pp. 137. Loy, H. W., Jr., 1939. Personal communication.
SATISFACTORY EARLY CHICK GROWTH ON A DIET CONTAINING NO ANIMAL PROTEIN Experiments in this laboratory during the past year have shown that rapid early growth of chicks is supported by an allvegetable diet containing soybean meal as the main source of protein with adequate additions of minerals, fish liver oil and riboflavin. The value of soybean meal
in starting rations has been adequately reviewed recently by Carver et al (1943) and by Hammond and Titus (1944). These investigators have also reported satisfactory early chick growth with diets containing soybean meal as the sole protein supplement.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on May 10, 2015
influence of fluorescent lights. A pen of twenty chicks was placed in a battery compartment, one end of which was illuminated continuously by a "Hygrade" 14 watt, 3500 white fluorescent tube. This was placed about six inches above the chicks. For comparison another pen was similarly illuminated with a "Hygrade" 25 watt, inside frosted incandescent bulb. Other groups received graded levels of U.S.P. reference cod-liver oil. The observations are summarized in Table 1. It may be concluded that ordinary illumination with inside frosted incandescent bulbs can be disregarded insofar as possible effect upon calcification is concerned. The data, however, indicate that fluorescent lighting does have a substantial anti-rachitic effect. In this study, exposure to a 14 watt fluorescent tube produced calcification fully equal to that obtained from feeding 20 A.O.A.C. units
Wt. gain in 3 weeks
CONCLUSION
Of the estrogens tested the dimethyl ether of diethylstilbestrol is the most
potent when orally administered and should be most suitable for use in fattening rations. R. GEORGE JAAP R. H. THAYER Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station Stillwater Received for publication February 26, 1944. REFERENCES
Davis, D. E. and L. V. Domm, 1943. Essays in Biology, University of Calif. Press, p. 169. Flock, Eunice V. and Jesse L. Bollman, 1942. J. Biol. Chem. 144:571. Hainan, E. T. and E. M. Cruickshank, 1933. 5th World's Poultry Congress, Rome, 2nd Section, No. 54. Herrick, E. H., 1944. Poultry Sci. 23:65. Lorenz, F . W., 1938. J. Biol. Chem. 126:763. Lorenz, F. W., 1943. Poultry Sci. 22:190. . Sondern, C. W., J. L. Sealey and P. L. Karstonis, 1941. Endocrinology 28, p. 849. Zondek, B. and L. Max, 1939. Arch. Int. Pharm v Ther. 41:77.
INFLUENCE OF INCANDESCENT AND OF FLUORESCENT LIGHTS ON CALCIFICATION IN THE CHICK The possible influence of light on calcification presents a problem to those concerned with the establishment or operation of laboratories for the assay of vitamin D. The U.S.P. method of assay for vitamin D (1939) specifies, "During the assay period all conditions of environment (particularly with reference to physiologically active radiations) shall be maintained as uniformly as possible with respect to the assay and reference groups." The A.O.A.C. tentative method for vitamin D for poultry (1940) specifies, " . . . and keep chicks away from sunshine or other sources of actinic light that may influence calcification." Many laboratories go to the extreme of keeping vitamin D assay rooms in nearly complete darkness. This tends to make
the work more difficult and it may reduce feed consumption of chicks. Observations at this laboratory seem to indicate that light rays which pass through window glass have no influence upon calcification in the chick, although they may have a little effect in the rat. The effect of room lighting has received relatively little attention. Loy (1939) says that clear glass lamps do have an antirachitic value for chicks. He found that a 60 watt clear glass bulb placed inside the battery compartment produced calcification equivalent to that obtained from feeding 15 A.O.A.C. units of vitamin D per 100 grams of feed. He considered inside frosted bulbs to be safe for ordinary illumination in the vitamin D assay room. Information was desired on the possible
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on May 10, 2015
with 0.5 mg. intramuscular injection in younger pullets on alternate days over a period of 22 days is probably much greater. The fact that the treated pullets increased in weight more rapidly than the controls demonstrates the absence of toxic effects in doses as large as 25 mg. per day. At the suggestion of Dr. C. W. Sondern of the George A. Breon & Co., a dimethyl ether and a dipropionate of diethylstilbestrol were tested orally on female chicks (lot V). Contrary to expectation (cf. Sondern et al. 1941) the dimethyl ether of diethylstilbestrol was found to be a potent estrogen when fed to chickens. Whether this potency of the methyl ether compound may be attributed to reabsorption from the urine in the cloaca of the bird must be further tested.
251
252
RESEARCH NOTES TABLE 1.—Influence of incandescent and of fluorescent lights on calcification in the chick
Pen No.
Supplement
3065 3066 3067 3068 3069 3070 3071 3093
None 43.5 mgms. Ref. C.L.O. #2 per 100 gms. 87.0 mgms. Ref. C.L.O. #2 per 100 gms. 130.4 mgms. Ref. C.L.O. #2 per 100 gms. 130.4 mgms. Ref. C.L.O. #2 per 100 gms. 173.9 mgms. Ref. C.L.O. #2 per 100 gms. 173.9 mgms. Ref. C.L.O. #2 per 100 gms. Exposed to 25 watt inside frosted bulb inside battery compartment Exposed to 14 watt fluorescent tube inside battery compartment
3094
Percent ash in dry, fat-free tibiae
grams 72 87 103 107 105 136 117
30.69 33.25 34.32 39.72 39.14 41.22 42.58
81
32.27
113
42.18
of vitamin D per 100 grams of feed. It may be concluded that fluorescent lights should not be used in rooms where vitamin D assay work is conducted. It is possible, too, that some benefits might be obtained from routine use of fluorescent lights for morning and evening illumination of poultry houses. GEORGE B. WIIXGEROTH JAMES C. FRITZ Borden's Nutritional Research Laboratory, Elgin, Illinois. Received for publication February 28, 1944. REFERENCES
Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, 1940. Official and Tentative Methods of Analysis, 5th ed., pp. 371, Washington, D. C. Committee of Revision, 1939. U. S. Pharmacopeia X I , Second Supplement, pp. 137. Loy, H. W., Jr., 1939. Personal communication.
SATISFACTORY EARLY CHICK GROWTH ON A DIET CONTAINING NO ANIMAL PROTEIN Experiments in this laboratory during the past year have shown that rapid early growth of chicks is supported by an allvegetable diet containing soybean meal as the main source of protein with adequate additions of minerals, fish liver oil and riboflavin. The value of soybean meal
in starting rations has been adequately reviewed recently by Carver et al (1943) and by Hammond and Titus (1944). These investigators have also reported satisfactory early chick growth with diets containing soybean meal as the sole protein supplement.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on May 10, 2015
influence of fluorescent lights. A pen of twenty chicks was placed in a battery compartment, one end of which was illuminated continuously by a "Hygrade" 14 watt, 3500 white fluorescent tube. This was placed about six inches above the chicks. For comparison another pen was similarly illuminated with a "Hygrade" 25 watt, inside frosted incandescent bulb. Other groups received graded levels of U.S.P. reference cod-liver oil. The observations are summarized in Table 1. It may be concluded that ordinary illumination with inside frosted incandescent bulbs can be disregarded insofar as possible effect upon calcification is concerned. The data, however, indicate that fluorescent lighting does have a substantial anti-rachitic effect. In this study, exposure to a 14 watt fluorescent tube produced calcification fully equal to that obtained from feeding 20 A.O.A.C. units
Wt. gain in 3 weeks