Comparative Studies of the Effect of Thiamine Deficiency in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Rats

Abstract

THIAMINE DEFICIENCY I N DIABETIC RATSin tolerance between various species of animals and also among the individuals of the same species. The observation that single blood transfusions in dogs in a state of extreme depression of the protlironibin level were of only temporary benefit, is paralleled by similar clinical findings"9 and calls for particular care in avoiding excessively high dosage.Certain workers1' ' 9 have claimed amelioration of human diabetes with the use of tliianiine, particularly when given in combination with other vitamins. RIartid reported intensification of diabetes in depancreatized dogs on a vitamin B-free diet, with remarkable improvement in carboh]idrate tolerance when thiamine and flavin were given. On the other haiid, in normal rats, Lepkovsky, Wood and Evans5 found the glucose tolerance impaired only in the later .stages of deficiency and McIntyre and Burke' noted very little change in glucose tolerance, either with deficiency or excess of vitamin B.The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of deprivation of thiamine on the diabetic condition of depancreatized rats and to ascertain whether or not diabetic animals, when deprived of thiamine, develop signs of deficiency more readily than those without diabetes. It was hoped that the results obtained might elucidate thepossible r6le of vitamin C, and specifically of thiamine, in the peripheral neuritis encountered in patients with severe, uncontrolled d i a b e t e~.~ 1 Vorhaus, hf.