THE EFFECT OF DIET ON THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE MOUSE TO PNEUMONIA VIRUS OF MICE (PVM)

Abstract

Young mice fed diets deficient in pyridoxine for 8 days or longer before the inoculation of PVM, as well as after inoculation, were more susceptible to infection than control mice fed complete diets. Young mice fed a pyridoxine-deficient diet gained weight as well as controls fed a complete diet for 5 weeks, but they lost weight in the 6th week. The ratio of thymus or spleen weight to body weight was less in mice fed a pyridoxine-deficient diet for 6 weeks than in controls fed a complete diet. Histologically the thymuses and spleens showed hypoplasia. No measurable difference in antibodies against PVM was found in the sera of uninoculated mice fed complete or pyridoxine-deficient diets for 6 weeks.