- Email: [email protected]
Indirect Evidence of the Influence of Vitamin a on the Adrenal Cortex of the Chick1
1022
RESEARCH NOTES
Effect of bile acids on plasma cholesterol in the mouse. J. Nutrition, 72: 379-386. Howe, E. E., and C. F. Hutchison, 1962. Effect of dietary bile acids on plasma cholesterol of the rat. J. Nutrition, 77: 237-240. Leveille, G. A., H. E. Sauberlich and R. D. Hunt, 1962. Effect of dietary lithocholic acid on liver size of the chick. Poultry Sci. 4 1 : 1991-1992. Norman, A., and J. Sjovall, 1960. Formation of lithocholic acid from chenodeoxycholic acid in the rat. Acta Chem. Scand. 14: 1815-1818.
I N D I R E C T E V I D E N C E OF T H E I N F L U E N C E OF V I T A M I N A ON T H E ADRENAL CORTEX OF T H E CHICK1 BRUCE
CLICK
Poultry Science Department, Mississippi State University, State College (Received for publication March 12, 1963)
In certain animals a vitamin A deficiency will produce a deficiency in adrenocorticoid production, Johnson and Wolf (1960). The adrenocorticoids, viz. the glucocorticoids, of the chicken will significantly increase the circulating number of heterophils, Glick (1959, 1961) and Huble (1955). Therefore, the influence of vitamin A on the chick's adrenal cortex might be ascertained by feeding a diet deficient in vitamin A and recording heterophil counts after A C T H injections. Two trials were conducted. Only one trial will be reported since the second trial confirmed the data of the first. New Hampshire females, at hatching, were placed in batteries and fed a basal ration supplemented with 200 and 2400 international units (IU) of stabilized vitamin A palmitate per pound of ration. T h e basal ration contained no ingredients supplying beta carotene and no preformed vitamin A was added. At 5 weeks of age, one-half the birds in each group received 2 intramuscular injec1
Mississippi Agricultural journal article No. 1098.
Experiment
Station
TABLE 1.—The influence of vitamin A on the circulating white blood cells of 5-week-old birds Vitamin A palmitate
Total white blood cells, cells/mm. 3 Percent lymphocytes Absolute lymphocytes, cells/mm. 3
2,400 IU 1
200 IU 1
21,300
16,200
65.4
79.1
12,840
13,650
Percent heterophils Absolute heterophils, cells/mm. 3 1 Each mean represented by 10 birds; \ received ACTH and the other J received sesame oil. All means not underscored by the same line are significantly different at the 5% level of probability, Duncan (1955).
tions, 8 hours apart, of 4 I U of A C T H (gelatin vehicle) per 100 gm. of body weight. Three hours after the last injection, the total ( N a t t and Herrick, 1952) and differential white blood cell counts were determined. The relative heterophils of birds receiving 200 I U of A and injected with A C T H were 5 percent higher than their oil in-
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries on June 10, 2016
Edwards, H. M., V. Jones and J. E. Marion, 1962. Effect of bile acid on egg production, serum cholesterol and egg cholesterol in hens. J. Nutrition, 77: 253-258. Eyssen, H., and P. De Somer, 1963. The mode of action of antibiotics in stimulating growth of chicks. J. Exp. Med. 117: 127-138. Holsti, P., 1960. Cirrhosis of the liver induced in rabbits by gastric installation of 3-monohydroxycholanic acid. Nature, 186: 250. Howe, E. E., D. K. Bosshardt and J. W. Huff, 1960.
RESEARCH NOTES
The failure to significantly increase the
heterophil counts of birds on the A deficient diet with ACTH injections indicates a reduced adrenal cortical function. REFERENCES Duncan, D. B., 1955. Multiple range and multiple F test. Biometrics, 11: 1-42. Glick, B., 1959. Experimental production of the stress picture with cortisone and the effect of penicillin in the young chicken. Ohio J. Sci. 59: 81-86. Glick, B., 1961. The effect of bovine growth hormone, desoxycorticosterone acetate, and cortisone acetate on the white blood cell counts of 2-week-old chickens. Poultry Sci. 40: 1537-1539. Huble, J., 1955. Haematological changes in cockerels after ACTH and cortisone acetate treatments. Poultry Sci. 34: 1357-1360. Johnson, B. C , and G. Wolf, 1960. The function of vitamin A in carbohydrate metabolism: its role in adrenocorticoid production. Vit. Horm. 18: 457-482. Natt, M. P., and C. A. Herrick, 1952. A new blood diluent for counting the erythrocytes and leucocytes of the chicken. Poultry Sci. 31: 735-738.
CATALASE LEVELS IN LINE 15 EAST LANSING WHITE LEGHORNS R. BATHER AND S. DZIUBALO Saskatchewan Research Unit of the National Cancer Institute of Canada, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada. and C. LE Q. DARCEL Animal Pathology Laboratories, Health of Animals Division, Canada Department of Agriculture, Animal Diseases Research Institute, (Western), Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
In connection with studies on iron metabolism in chickens infected with erythroblastosis, we became interested in the catalase content of fowl blood, and samples were obtained from 122 uninfected East Lansing Line 15 White Leghorns approaching maturity (67 male and 55 female). A catalase method essentially similar to that of Beers and Sizer (1952) was used. When a histogram, Fig. 1, was made of the catalase values obtained, these were found to fall into three sharply defined groups: (i) 100-500 units (18 birds), (ii)
700-1200 units (60 birds), (iii) over 1300 units (44 birds). No sex difference was found in the distribution of catalase activity. In another experiment, blood catalase activity was determined on 30 birds at 6 weeks of age. Again they were found to fall into 3 groups of low, medium or high catalase activity. Subsequent determinations on the same birds at 10-11 weeks and 18-19 weeks of age showed them to have remained in the same catalase groups (Table 1). We have found few references to the
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries on June 10, 2016
jected pen mates. On the other hand, the percent heterophils of the birds receiving 2400 IU of A and inoculated with ACTH exceeded their oil injected pen mates by 18 percent. No change in absolute number of heterophils was noted between ACTH and oil injected birds fed 200 IU of A. Birds receiving 2400 IU of A and injected with ACTH realized 4,000 more heterophils per mm.3 of blood than did their sesame oil injected pen mates. The data of Table 1 illustrate the significant influence vitamin A exerted on the white blood cell counts. Included in each mean are an equal number of birds that received injections of ACTH and oil. This serves to emphasize the lack of influence ACTH was able to exert on the adrenal cortex of the birds consuming the vitamin A deficient diet.
1023
RESEARCH NOTES
Effect of bile acids on plasma cholesterol in the mouse. J. Nutrition, 72: 379-386. Howe, E. E., and C. F. Hutchison, 1962. Effect of dietary bile acids on plasma cholesterol of the rat. J. Nutrition, 77: 237-240. Leveille, G. A., H. E. Sauberlich and R. D. Hunt, 1962. Effect of dietary lithocholic acid on liver size of the chick. Poultry Sci. 4 1 : 1991-1992. Norman, A., and J. Sjovall, 1960. Formation of lithocholic acid from chenodeoxycholic acid in the rat. Acta Chem. Scand. 14: 1815-1818.
I N D I R E C T E V I D E N C E OF T H E I N F L U E N C E OF V I T A M I N A ON T H E ADRENAL CORTEX OF T H E CHICK1 BRUCE
CLICK
Poultry Science Department, Mississippi State University, State College (Received for publication March 12, 1963)
In certain animals a vitamin A deficiency will produce a deficiency in adrenocorticoid production, Johnson and Wolf (1960). The adrenocorticoids, viz. the glucocorticoids, of the chicken will significantly increase the circulating number of heterophils, Glick (1959, 1961) and Huble (1955). Therefore, the influence of vitamin A on the chick's adrenal cortex might be ascertained by feeding a diet deficient in vitamin A and recording heterophil counts after A C T H injections. Two trials were conducted. Only one trial will be reported since the second trial confirmed the data of the first. New Hampshire females, at hatching, were placed in batteries and fed a basal ration supplemented with 200 and 2400 international units (IU) of stabilized vitamin A palmitate per pound of ration. T h e basal ration contained no ingredients supplying beta carotene and no preformed vitamin A was added. At 5 weeks of age, one-half the birds in each group received 2 intramuscular injec1
Mississippi Agricultural journal article No. 1098.
Experiment
Station
TABLE 1.—The influence of vitamin A on the circulating white blood cells of 5-week-old birds Vitamin A palmitate
Total white blood cells, cells/mm. 3 Percent lymphocytes Absolute lymphocytes, cells/mm. 3
2,400 IU 1
200 IU 1
21,300
16,200
65.4
79.1
12,840
13,650
Percent heterophils Absolute heterophils, cells/mm. 3 1 Each mean represented by 10 birds; \ received ACTH and the other J received sesame oil. All means not underscored by the same line are significantly different at the 5% level of probability, Duncan (1955).
tions, 8 hours apart, of 4 I U of A C T H (gelatin vehicle) per 100 gm. of body weight. Three hours after the last injection, the total ( N a t t and Herrick, 1952) and differential white blood cell counts were determined. The relative heterophils of birds receiving 200 I U of A and injected with A C T H were 5 percent higher than their oil in-
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries on June 10, 2016
Edwards, H. M., V. Jones and J. E. Marion, 1962. Effect of bile acid on egg production, serum cholesterol and egg cholesterol in hens. J. Nutrition, 77: 253-258. Eyssen, H., and P. De Somer, 1963. The mode of action of antibiotics in stimulating growth of chicks. J. Exp. Med. 117: 127-138. Holsti, P., 1960. Cirrhosis of the liver induced in rabbits by gastric installation of 3-monohydroxycholanic acid. Nature, 186: 250. Howe, E. E., D. K. Bosshardt and J. W. Huff, 1960.
RESEARCH NOTES
The failure to significantly increase the
heterophil counts of birds on the A deficient diet with ACTH injections indicates a reduced adrenal cortical function. REFERENCES Duncan, D. B., 1955. Multiple range and multiple F test. Biometrics, 11: 1-42. Glick, B., 1959. Experimental production of the stress picture with cortisone and the effect of penicillin in the young chicken. Ohio J. Sci. 59: 81-86. Glick, B., 1961. The effect of bovine growth hormone, desoxycorticosterone acetate, and cortisone acetate on the white blood cell counts of 2-week-old chickens. Poultry Sci. 40: 1537-1539. Huble, J., 1955. Haematological changes in cockerels after ACTH and cortisone acetate treatments. Poultry Sci. 34: 1357-1360. Johnson, B. C , and G. Wolf, 1960. The function of vitamin A in carbohydrate metabolism: its role in adrenocorticoid production. Vit. Horm. 18: 457-482. Natt, M. P., and C. A. Herrick, 1952. A new blood diluent for counting the erythrocytes and leucocytes of the chicken. Poultry Sci. 31: 735-738.
CATALASE LEVELS IN LINE 15 EAST LANSING WHITE LEGHORNS R. BATHER AND S. DZIUBALO Saskatchewan Research Unit of the National Cancer Institute of Canada, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada. and C. LE Q. DARCEL Animal Pathology Laboratories, Health of Animals Division, Canada Department of Agriculture, Animal Diseases Research Institute, (Western), Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
In connection with studies on iron metabolism in chickens infected with erythroblastosis, we became interested in the catalase content of fowl blood, and samples were obtained from 122 uninfected East Lansing Line 15 White Leghorns approaching maturity (67 male and 55 female). A catalase method essentially similar to that of Beers and Sizer (1952) was used. When a histogram, Fig. 1, was made of the catalase values obtained, these were found to fall into three sharply defined groups: (i) 100-500 units (18 birds), (ii)
700-1200 units (60 birds), (iii) over 1300 units (44 birds). No sex difference was found in the distribution of catalase activity. In another experiment, blood catalase activity was determined on 30 birds at 6 weeks of age. Again they were found to fall into 3 groups of low, medium or high catalase activity. Subsequent determinations on the same birds at 10-11 weeks and 18-19 weeks of age showed them to have remained in the same catalase groups (Table 1). We have found few references to the
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries on June 10, 2016
jected pen mates. On the other hand, the percent heterophils of the birds receiving 2400 IU of A and inoculated with ACTH exceeded their oil injected pen mates by 18 percent. No change in absolute number of heterophils was noted between ACTH and oil injected birds fed 200 IU of A. Birds receiving 2400 IU of A and injected with ACTH realized 4,000 more heterophils per mm.3 of blood than did their sesame oil injected pen mates. The data of Table 1 illustrate the significant influence vitamin A exerted on the white blood cell counts. Included in each mean are an equal number of birds that received injections of ACTH and oil. This serves to emphasize the lack of influence ACTH was able to exert on the adrenal cortex of the birds consuming the vitamin A deficient diet.
1023