Experimentally induced thiamine deficiency in beagle dogs: clinicopathologic findings
Read, D.H.; Harrington, D.D.
American Journal of Veterinary Research 43(7): 1258-1267
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9645 PMID: 7103209 Document Number: 183994
Two to 5-mo. old Beagle dogs (23) were fed a purified thiamin-deficient ration (2-3 .mu.g thiamine/100 g of ration) at a rate of 40-70 g/kg body wt/day, depending on age, for 32-134 (84 .+-. 42) days. Eleven dogs were used as principals, 6 as pair-fed (P-F) controls, and 6 as ad lib fed controls. Both control groups were given 300 .mu.g of thiamin hydrochloride/kg, i.m., once a week. Of 58 clinicopathologic values in the principals, 7 differed significantly (P < 0.05) from corresponding values in 1 or both control groups. Thiamin pyrophosphate effect on erythrocyte transketolase (TK) activity increased steadily to a mean terminal value of 64%, while corresponding control values remained stable below 11%. Mean terminal activity of erythrocyte TK was 1030 .mu.g of sedoheptulose/ml of erythrocytes/h, .apprx. 50% of that of the P-F controls. Concentrations of blood pyruvate and lactate in 6-9 mo. old principals increased abruptly during the intermediate stage of preliminary clinical signs (58.6 .+-. 37.0 days) to reach respective mean peaks of 7.4 and 67 mg/dl, 5-6 times greater than corresponding values in P-F control dogs. The peak concentrations persisted for .apprx. 50 days, after which they decreased abruptly during the final stage of terminal clinical signs of disease (7.6 .+-. 6.0 days). Blood pyruvate and lactate concentrations in 3- to 4-mo. old principals did not change appreciably. Of these young principal dogs 2 and P-F control dog 1 had low terminal plasma glucose concentrations (13-36 mg/dl), findings that were probably caused by inanition. Mean terminal numbers of segmented and band neutrophils were 2 and 9 times greater, respectively, than corresponding values of P-F controls. Mean terminal concentrations of CSF pyruvate and lactate were 1.5 times greater than corresponding P-F control values, but the increase in pyruvate concentration was not significant.