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Production of Multiple Congenital Abnormalities in Young by Maternal Pteroylglutamic Acid Deficiency during Gestation¹

Thirteen Figures

Institute of Experimental Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Under the experimental conditions employed, instituting a deficiency of pteroylglutamic acid in the rat as late as 9 days after breeding invariably resulted in fetal death (resorption), whereas delaying the deficiency two days to 11 days after breeding resulted in 95% of the animals littering young with multiple congenital abnormalities. These young were characterized by a marked edema and anemia, multiple skeletal abnormalities such as cleft palate and syndactylism, retarded development of the viscera, especially kidneys and lungs, and Morgagnian-type cataracts of the eyes.

Instituting the deficiency between day 9 and day 11, i.e., 10 days after breeding, resulted in approximately 40% of the animals producing litters, consisting of a few markedly abnormal young. In contrast, delaying the deficiency to 12 or 13 days after breeding resulted in 100% litters, with the young having milder degrees of edema and visceral retardation and practically no skeletal abnormalities. Normal young resulted when the deficiency was not started until 15 days after breeding.

The similarity of some of the abnormalities observed to those previously reported for other vitamin deficiencies in the rat is discussed.

Manuscript received 9 June 1952.