MOLYBDENOSIS INDUCED IN LABORATORY RABBITS

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Abstract
Molybdenosis was induced in 52 laboratory rabbits by feeding an oats–alfalfa diet containing 2.0 or 2.35 g Na2MoO4.2H2O/kg. Thirty-seven control rabbits received an equivalent amount of sodium as NaCl in place of the molybdate. Epiphyseal line fractures, demonstrated by radiographs, occurred in the long bones of some molybdate-fed animals after as few as 12 days. Body weight increased for approximately 7 days, then decreased until death of the animal or until termination of the experiment. Of the 34 deaths that occurred by the fifth week, 33 animals had lost 4 to 41% of their body weight; one animal which died on the sixth day had gained 8%. Haemoglobin, haematocrit, and serum sulphate concentration decreased to approximately 65, 60, and 75% respectively, of control values. One-fifth millicurie of Mo99 was injected intravenously into 16 control and 28 test animals. Gamma emission over the thorax was measured at intervals for 72 hours. Typical diphasic isotope curves were obtained for control animals; curves for the nine surviving molybdate-fed animals appeared to have no first component. Biological half-lives were calculated from exponential lines of best fit for the period from 12 to 72 hours. The mean biological half-life for the nine test animals was 19.4 ± 0.82 (S.E.M.) hours and for the control animals, 19.4 ± 0.46 hours.