Effect of Intravenous Injection of Oxidized Methyl Esters of Unsaturated Fatty Acids on Chick Encephalomalacia.

Abstract

Groups of male chicks were kept for one week on purified diets, which contained various levels of corn oil and soy (Archer Daniels Midland purified) protein, and injected with 10 mg of the hydroperoxide of methyl linoleate emulsified in 1 ml of serum. Cerebellar disorders developed in chicks 1-5 hours after the injection. However, no cerebellar disorders were noted after injection in birds kept on an identical diet, but supplemented with 8 mg% [alpha]-tocopherol. The injection of reduced hydroperoxide, methyl 12-oxo-cis-9-octadeconate or fresh methyl linoleate caused no cerebellar disorders, indicating only lipohydroperoxide initiated symptoms. The severity of cerebellar disorders induced by the injection of lipohydroperoxide was greatly influenced by dietary pretreatment. The cerebellum of chicks which had been kept on a high protein, high fat, vitamin E deficient diet were damaged more extensively by the injection of lipohydroperoxide than the cerebellum of chicks kept on adequate diets. These data suggest that nutritional encephalomalacia may be initiated by the accumulation of sufficient, though still immeasurable, levels of lipohydroperoxide in vivo.