Pteroylglutamic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, and Injectable Liver Extract on Dietary Glycine Toxicity in the Rat.

Abstract

Weanling albino rats were fed a standard purified diet, and a similar diet containing 10% glycine replacing an equal amount of sucrose. Groups of rats were given j the glycine-containing diet supplemented respectively with PGA, injectable liver extract, PGA plus liver extract, and ascorbic acid. The growth of rats receiving the high glycine diet was greatly reduced as compared to the control group. Supplementation of the high glycine diet with PGA and with PGA plus liver extract resulted in a marked improvement in growth rate; liver extract alone was less effective; and ascorbic acid did not significantly improve rate of growht of rats receiving the 10% glycine diet. Rats receiving the high glycine diet did not develop a marked leucopenia when compared with control rats; however, supplementation of this diet with PGA resulted in an increased white count while supplementation with liver extract and with liver extract pluw PGA resulted in an increased white count in male rats but was without effect in females. The mean corpuscular volume was found to be highest in rats receiving the high glycine diet plus ascorbic acid.