American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 1, 124-133, Copyright © 1953 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Effects of B VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES on the Leukocyte Response to EPINEPHRINE AND CORTICOTROPIN (ACTH)

¹ From the Emory W. Thurston Laboratories, Los Angeles, California

Determinations were made of the lymphocyte response to epinephrine administration of rats fed a complete diet and of animals deficient in thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, and vitamin A. A significant reduction in the peripheral lymphocyte count (presumably indicative of activated pituitary-adrenal function) occurred in all rats 3 hours post injection, with the exception of those depleted of pantothenic acid. In the latter group, in place of the usual lymphopenic response, a significant lymphocytosis occurred. Rats deficient in pantothenic acid, however, showed a significant lymphopenia following the administration of corticotropin (ACTH). It was concluded, therefore, that the adrenals of pantothenic acid-deficient rats could respond to cortical stimulation but that the pituitaries of such animals failed to liberate sufficient corticotropin in response to epinephrine administration to stimulate the production of lymphopenia-producing corticoids.

Determinations were made of the lymphocyte response of pyridoxine-deficient rats after (1) a single and (2) repeated injections of epinephrine. No significant difference in lymphopenic response was observed between pyridoxine-deficient rats and those on a complete ration after a single injection of epinephrine; after 10 daily injections, however, the lymphopenic response was absent in pyridoxine-deficient rats although relatively unimpaired in supplemented controls.

The above findings are discussed in respect to pituitary-adrenal function.