IV. The Relation of the Age, Weight and Sex of Young Rats to the Occurrence of Hemorrhagic Degeneration on a Low Choline Diet
One Figure
Wendell H. Griffith
Department of Biological Chemistry, St. Louis University School of Medicine, Missouri
1. Hemorrhagic degeneration occurred within 10 days in malerats, 20 to 30 days of age, on a low choline diet containing0.3% of added cystine.
2. A marked decrease in the incidenceof the deficiency in similarrats, 33 days of age or older,suggested that there is a correspondingdecrease in the cholinerequirement of rats over 30 days ofage.
3. The renal lesionsin 40-gm. male rats, 21 to 26 days of age,were most severeon the sixth and seventh days. Only 60 to 80%of these ratssurvived the 10-day period.
4. The results of choline deficiencyappeared more slowly andwere less severe in young female ratsthan in male rats of thesame age and weight.
5. The administrationof choline after the appearance of hemorrhagicdegenerationaccelerated the recovery from the acute stage ofthe deficiency.
6. The increase in weight of the kidneys of male rats, 20daysof age and 24 to 30 gm. in weight, after a 7-day periodon dietscontaining suboptimal levels of added choline was proportionalto the severity of the deficiency of choline.