The Influence of Orally-Administered Penicillin upon Growth and Liver Thiamine of Growing Germfree and Normal Stock Rats fed a Thiamine-Deficient Diet

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Abstract
Procaine penicillin G (50 mg/kg diet) was administered to young germfree and normal stock rats on a thiamine-deficient diet. Normal stock rats showed continued, though retarded growth, while the untreated controls started to lose weight after two weeks. In rats sacrificed after 4 weeks the thiamine content of the liver was 0.50 µg/gm in the untreated group, 1.16 in the treated group and 8.57 in animals receiving a complete diet. All untreated rats not sacrificed at that time died between the 6th and 10th weeks. Germfree animals showed no influence of the feeding of penicillin. In both groups weight loss began after two weeks, while death occurred (if not sacrificed) between 4 and 5 weeks. Animals sacrificed after 4 weeks were invariably in bad condition. The thiamine content of the liver of the untreated averaged 0.38 µg/gm while the treated group showed approximately the same, 0.47. The germfree control group, receiving a complete diet, showed a value of 3.74. Obviously, the action of penicillin is (caused by an action) on the intestinal flora, and thiamine synthesized under influence of the antibiotic is available to the host.

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