Pantothenic Acid Deficiency in Pregnant and Non-pregnant Guinea Pigs, with Special Reference to Effects on the Fetus

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Abstract
To study the effects of pantothenic acid deficiency during pregnancy in the guinea pig, it was necessary first to establish the appropriate duration of the deficiency period, by subjecting adult animals to the deficient diet. These experiments showed that the adult guinea pig is sensitive to a deficiency of pantothenic acid. Thirteen non-pregnant adults died within 10 to 41 days after institution of the deficient diet, and 3 pregnant animals survived only 9 to 16 days. Liver pantothenic acid and coenzyme A levels were markedly reduced, and liver fat concentration was greatly increased. Pair-feeding experiments showed that this increase in liver fat was at least partially due to decreased food intake. A transitory dietary deficiency of pantothenic acid during the ninth or tenth weeks of gestation (total period 70 days) resulted in loss of fetuses through abortion, or death of the mother. Deficiency during the tenth week appeared to produce a significant increase in the liver fat of the newborn. Concomitantly, liver pantothenic acid level was lower than normal, both at birth and at 7 days of age. Young whose mothers had received the deficient diet during the ninth, the seventh or the sixth weeks showed no significant changes in liver fat at birth, but liver pantothenic acid concentration was lower than normal. No gross morphological abnormalities were noted. Liver fat concentration in normal newborn guinea pigs was found to be more than 10 times the normal adult level. At 62 days of gestation, it was even higher than at birth, but it decreased after parturition to one-third of the newborn level by 2 days of age. In contrast, liver cholesterol showed only slight changes in the neonatal period. The experiments suggest that the greatest need for pantothenic acid during fetal development of the guinea pig is in the period shortly before birth.