Effects of Vitamin K-Active Compounds and Intestinal Microorganisms in Vitamin K-Deficient Germfree Rats

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Abstract
Vitamin K deficiency was readily induced in two different strains of germfree rats raised with a vitamin K-deficient diet. Conventional animals fed the same diet showed no deficiency symptoms. The male germfree rats were more susceptible to vitamin K deficiency than the females. The addition of 25% of lard to the basal diet accelerated the appearance of vitamin K deficiency symptoms, whereas 10% of peanut oil in the diet exerted a sparing effect. Vitamin K1 was 10 times more effective than menadiol diphosphate and 100 times more effective than menadiol sodium sulfate in curing the vitamin K deficiency symptoms. Monoinfection of germfree vitamin K-deficient rats with Escherichia coli or a sarcina-like micrococcus isolated from conventional rats reversed the vitamin K deficiency within 24 to 48 hours.

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