TY - JOUR
T1 - A combined deficiency of vitamins E and C causes severe central nervous system damage in guinea pigs
AU - Burk, Raymond F.
AU - Christensen, Joani M.
AU - Maguire, Mark J.
AU - Austin, Lori M.
AU - Whetsell, William O.
AU - May, James M.
AU - Hill, Kristina E.
AU - Ebner, Ford F.
PY - 2006/6
Y1 - 2006/6
N2 - A short period of combined deficiency of vitamins E and C causes profound central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction in guinea pigs. For this report, CNS histopathology was studied to define the nature and extent of injury caused by this double deficiency. Weanling guinea pigs were fed a vitamin E-deficient or -replete diet for 14 d. Then vitamin C was withdrawn from the diet of some guinea pigs. Four diet groups were thus formed: replete, vitamin E deficient, vitamin C deficient, and both vitamin E and C deficient. From 5 to 11 d after institution of the doubly deficient diet, 9 of 12 guinea pigs developed paralysis, and 2 more were found dead. The remaining guinea pig in the doubly deficient group and all animals in the other 3 groups survived without clinical impairment until the experiment was terminated at 13-15 d. Brains and spinal cords were serially sectioned and stained for examination. Only the combined deficiency produced damage in the CNS. The damage consisted mainly of nerve cell death, axonal degeneration, vascular injury, and associated glial cell responses. The spinal cord and the ventral pons in the brainstem were most severely affected, often exhibiting asymmetric cystic lesions. Several features of the lesions suggest that the primary damage was to blood vessels. These results indicate that the paralysis and death caused by combined deficiency of vitamins E and C in guinea pigs is caused by severe damage in the brainstem and spinal cord.
AB - A short period of combined deficiency of vitamins E and C causes profound central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction in guinea pigs. For this report, CNS histopathology was studied to define the nature and extent of injury caused by this double deficiency. Weanling guinea pigs were fed a vitamin E-deficient or -replete diet for 14 d. Then vitamin C was withdrawn from the diet of some guinea pigs. Four diet groups were thus formed: replete, vitamin E deficient, vitamin C deficient, and both vitamin E and C deficient. From 5 to 11 d after institution of the doubly deficient diet, 9 of 12 guinea pigs developed paralysis, and 2 more were found dead. The remaining guinea pig in the doubly deficient group and all animals in the other 3 groups survived without clinical impairment until the experiment was terminated at 13-15 d. Brains and spinal cords were serially sectioned and stained for examination. Only the combined deficiency produced damage in the CNS. The damage consisted mainly of nerve cell death, axonal degeneration, vascular injury, and associated glial cell responses. The spinal cord and the ventral pons in the brainstem were most severely affected, often exhibiting asymmetric cystic lesions. Several features of the lesions suggest that the primary damage was to blood vessels. These results indicate that the paralysis and death caused by combined deficiency of vitamins E and C in guinea pigs is caused by severe damage in the brainstem and spinal cord.
KW - Combined vitamin E and C deficiency
KW - Guinea pigs
KW - Nutritional central nervous system injury
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33646762858&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/jn/136.6.1576
DO - 10.1093/jn/136.6.1576
M3 - Article
C2 - 16702324
AN - SCOPUS:33646762858
SN - 0022-3166
VL - 136
SP - 1576
EP - 1581
JO - Journal of Nutrition
JF - Journal of Nutrition
IS - 6
ER -