The rôle of certain dietary factors in the formation of erythrocytes

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Abstract
Vitamin B2 deficient rats show a diminution in red cell count, which can be restored to normal by autoclaved marmite but not by Cu, glu-tamic acid, extra Fe or alkaline hematin. The arrest of growth in vitamin B2 deficiency cannot be due to simple Fe deficiency, as is shown by records of food consumption. Alkaline hematin cannot replace vitamin B2 in the diet. Vitamin B1 deficiency does not result in a reduction of the red cell count. There is a heat-stable factor in ox-liver which exerts a powerful influence on the formation of erythrocytes. This factor can be extracted with boiling water and can be freed from vitamin B2 by autoclaving in an alkaline medium. Even when growth is arrested and the animals are in poor condition owing to vitamin B2 deficiency, the administration of this autoclaved liver extract induces a supernormal erythrocyte count. This effect cannot be produced by Fe, Cu, glutamic acid or yeast. The significance of these results is discussed.