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Inositol Deficiency: an Intestinal Lipodystrophy in the Gerbil¹

Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

An intestinal lipodystrophy characterized by accumulation of fat in the intestinal mucosal cells was produced in female gerbils fed purified diets containing certain fats. The syndrome resulted in a relative hypocholesterolemia, debilitation and death. It was most severe when the dietary fat was highly saturated and developed minimally or not at all when the diet contained highly unsaturated oils such as safflower oil. Males were minimally affected with either diet. The syndrome was prevented by the inclusion of liver extract or yeast in the diet. The factor in liver or yeast is presumably inositol since this is also effective.

KEY WORDS: • inositol • gerbil • intestinal lipodystrophy • dietary fat

¹ Supported in part by Public Health Service Research Grants HE-12399 and K6-AM-18455 and the Fund for Research and Teaching, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health.

Manuscript received 17 July 1972.