Effect of diet on Heinz body formation in kittens

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Abstract
Heinz body formation was examined in kittens, in response to consumption of a variety of diets. A commercial salmon-based diet containing 16.5 mg of nitrite, 39 mg of histamine, and 210,000 IU of vitamin A/kg of diet (dry-matter basis) was found to induce Heinz body formation. Purified experimental diets—containing nitrite up to 405 mg/kg; histamine, 50 mg/kg; histamine, 50 mg/kg plus nitrite, 45 mg/kg; or vitamin A, 250,000 IU/kg—failed to induce Heinz body formation. The effect of propylene glycol (pg) on Heinz body formation was examined by giving groups of 6 kittens purified diets containing 5 or 10% pg for 12 weeks. Two additional kittens were fed a commercial soft-moist diet containing pg for 12 weeks. All kittens fed pg developed Heinz bodies, with peak values for erythrocytes containing Heinz bodies being: 28% for kittens of the 10% pg group; 20% for kittens of the 5% pg group; and 36% for kittens of the soft-moist diet group. Kittens did not develop anemia or methemoglobinemia. Heinz body percentage required 6 to 8 weeks to decrease to the pretreatment value of < 1% after diets containing pg were discontinued. 51Chromium-labeled erythrocytes were used to evaluate erythrocyte survival in 4 kittens of the 10% pg-fed group and in 4 control kittens. Kittens with Heinz body formation induced by 10% pg had significantly (P < 0.001) decreased erythrocyte survival, compared with that for controls, with half-life of 8.3 days for kittens of the pg group, compared with 12.6 days for kittens of the control group. Heinz body formation was examined in kittens, in response to consumption of a variety of diets. A commercial salmon-based diet containing 16.5 mg of nitrite, 39 mg of histamine, and 210,000 IU of vitamin A/kg of diet (dry-matter basis) was found to induce Heinz body formation. Purified experimental diets—containing nitrite up to 405 mg/kg; histamine, 50 mg/kg; histamine, 50 mg/kg plus nitrite, 45 mg/kg; or vitamin A, 250,000 IU/kg—failed to induce Heinz body formation. The effect of propylene glycol (pg) on Heinz body formation was examined by giving groups of 6 kittens purified diets containing 5 or 10% pg for 12 weeks. Two additional kittens were fed a commercial soft-moist diet containing pg for 12 weeks. All kittens fed pg developed Heinz bodies, with peak values for erythrocytes containing Heinz bodies being: 28% for kittens of the 10% pg group; 20% for kittens of the 5% pg group; and 36% for kittens of the soft-moist diet group. Kittens did not develop anemia or methemoglobinemia. Heinz body percentage required 6 to 8 weeks to decrease to the pretreatment value of < 1% after diets containing pg were discontinued. 51Chromium-labeled erythrocytes were used to evaluate erythrocyte survival in 4 kittens of the 10% pg-fed group and in 4 control kittens. Kittens with Heinz body formation induced by 10% pg had significantly (P < 0.001) decreased erythrocyte survival, compared with that for controls, with half-life of 8.3 days for kittens of the pg group, compared with 12.6 days for kittens of the control group.