Relation of Folic Acid and Vitamin A to Incidence of Hydrocephalus in Infant Rats.

Abstract

When adult albino rats were maintained on a synthetic ration containing acid-washed casein and all of the recognized vits. except folic acid, 1.9% of the 532 offspring weaned showed symptoms of hydrocephalus. The addition of 50 gamma of folic acid per 100 g. of ration decreased the incidence to 0.1% of the 1437 offspring weaned. Decreasing the level of vit. A from 2000 I. U. tp as low as 100 I. U. per 100 g. of ration had no influence on the incidence of hydrocephalus. Rats from the deficient ration which were free of symptoms gave brain moisture values (79.91%) and cerebrospinal fluid pressures (67 mm. water) which were not significantly different from those of rats from an adequate stock ration.