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The Vitamin E-Deficiency Syndrome in Pigs
Vitamin E-mangelsyndromet hos gris: I. Patologiske forandringer
I. Pathological Changes
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 11, pages 452–480 (1970)
Abstract
Four feeding experiments with fat-rich diets were performed to study the gross and histologic pathology of the vitamin E-deficiency syndrome in pigs. The pathologic changes which occurred included skeletal and heart muscle dystrophy with degenerative and micro- thrombotic vessel injury, anaemia, liver necrosis (hepatosis diaetetica) and yellow discoloration of the fat tissue (yellow-fat disease). In some cases clear-cut pathologic changes corresponding to “mulberry heart disease” or hepatosis diaetetica occurred, but there was an obvious tendency for these pathologic conditions, as well as for muscle dystrophy and yellow fat to occur simultaneously. The changes could be counteracted with alphatocopherol, while supplement of selenium or sulphur-containing amino acids did not protect against the lesions under the conditions of these experiments. This may be due to the high content of unsaturated fatty acids in the experimental diets. Contradictory to earlier reports, hepatosis diaetetica developed on diets containing casein as a source of protein, and even when extra supplements of sulphur-containing amino acids were given.
In these experiments „mulberry heart disease” was induced experimentally in vitamin E-deficient pigs. The explanation why several of these pigs belonged to groups with extra amino acids or selenium supplement may be a somewhat improved rate of growth in these groups.
Sammendrag
Det ble utført 4 foringsforsøk for å undersøke de makroskopiske og histologiske forandringer ved vitamin E-mangelsyndromet hos gris. De patologiske forandringer som opptrådte, omfattet skjelett- og hjerte-muskel-dystrofi med degenerative og mikro-trombotiske karskader, anemi, levernekroser (hepatosis diaetetica) og gul misfarging av vevsfettet (yellow fat disease). I noen tilfelle opptrådte patologiske forandringer som klart tilsvarte akutt hjertedød eller hepatosis diaetetica, mens det gjennomgående var en tendens til samtidig opptreden av disse sykdomstilstander, så vel som av muskeldystrofi og gult fett. Forandringene kunne forebygges med vitamin E, mens en ikke oppnådde noen beskyttende effekt med tilskudd av selen og svovelholdige aminosyrer under disse forsøksbetingelser. Dette kan muligens tilskrives det høye innhold av poly-umettede fettsyrer i forsøksforet.
I motsetning til tidligere forsøksresultater, fikk en i våre forsøk utviklet hepatosis diaetetica på kasein-holdige dietter og til og med når ekstra tilskudd av svovelholdige aminosyrer ble gitt.
I disse forsøk opptrådte akutt hjertedød hos forsøksgriser på vitamin E-mangel diett. Grunnen til at flere av grisene som døde av akutt hjertedød tilhørte grupper hvor det var gitt tilskudd av selen eller svovelholdige aminosyrer kan kanskje søkes i den noe bedrede tilvekst hos disse gruppene.
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Acknowledgment
The authors wish to express their thanks to Prof. Dr. R. Svenke- rud and Prof. P. Slagsvold for helpful suggestions and discussions.
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Nafstad, I., Tollersrud, S. The Vitamin E-Deficiency Syndrome in Pigs. Acta Vet Scand 11, 452–480 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547971
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547971