The effect of inanition and vitamin B deficiency on the adrenal glands of the pigeon

Abstract

Work on pigeons forcibly fed on an artificial vitamin B deficient diet and on starving birds, confirms previous results showing that inanition and vitamin B deficiency, each and separately result in adrenal hypertrophy. The forcibly fed vitamin B deficient pigeons showed little or no loss of weight when the typical symptoms occurred. Adrenal hypertrophy was shown by each of 2 groups of birds fed in a similar manner but which were respectively receiving extracts containing the thermostable vitamin B2 and the anti-neuritic vitamin B1. The adrenal hypertrophy was considerably greater in the case of the group deficient in vitamin B1. Of the total hypertrophy, 19% is accounted for by edema in vitamin B deficient pigeons, and 44% in the case of the starving birds. From evidence gained by estimations of the adrenalin content of the glands, it is suggested that whereas in inanition the hypertrophic changes occur mainly in the medulla, in vitamin B deficiency unaccompanied by starvation the cortex is usually involved.