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Development of Dermal Symptoms Resembling Those of an Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency in Immature Hypophysectomized Rats¹

The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, Minnesota 55912

Studies are reported of the development of scaly tails and feet similar to those of an essential fatty acid deficiency in immature hypophysectomized rats. Normal and hypophysectomized weanling rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain were fed a semipurified fat-free diet supplemented with 10% of hydrogenated coconut oil, corn oil, linseed oil or concentrates of arachidonic or 20:5 and 22:6 acids as ethyl esters for 8 to 12 weeks. The hypophysectomized rats developed scaly tails and feet characteristic of the dermal symptoms of an essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency. The caudal necrosis often developed in animals fed the more highly unsaturated fat to such an extent that part of the tails dropped off after about 8 weeks. Interconversion of fatty acids was not impaired in the livers of hypophysectomized animals. However, there was a small but significantly higher concentration of eicosatrienoic acid in the livers of the hypophysectomized animals, compared to those of normal animals. The percentages of cholesterol and cholesterol esters in the liver were higher, and those of the phospholipids lower, in the hypophysectomized animals.

KEY WORDS: • hypophysectomized immature rats • EFA deficiency • dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids • dermal symptoms

¹ Supported in part by PHS Research Grant no. AM-04942 from the National Institutes of Health and PHS Research Grant no. HE-08214 from the Program Projects Branch, Extramural Programs, National Heart Institute, and The Hormel Foundation.

² Present address: Institut für Experimentelle Krebsforschung, Heidelberg, Germany.

Manuscript received 18 May 1972.