Vitamin B12 Deficiency in the Golden Hamster

Abstract

A mild vitamin B₁₂ deficiency, producing metabolic changes, was developed in the golden hamster using a diet consisting mainly of cornstarch and soybean protein. The deficiency was manifested by urinary excretion of appreciable amounts of methylmalonic and formiminoglutamic acids but no increase in excretion of aminoimidazolecarboxamide. The deficiency had no effect on body weight or hematological processes, at least for the duration of this study. Glutathione (GSH) concentration in the serum and liver was increased significantly in the deficient animals over that of the controls, but there was no change in the content of liver coenzyme A. The manifestations of the deficiency disappeared when the deficient animals were fed vitamin B₁₂-supplemented diets. Thyroid hormone-active compounds (thyroid powder and iodized casein) and a thyroid hormone-depressing compound (propylthiouracil) were added to some of the diets to determine whether these compounds would shorten or lengthen, respectively, the duration of time before the deficiency developed and to learn whether they exacerbated or alleviated the effects of the deficiency. No effect of either type of compound was noted.