Effect of Variations of Rations on the Incidence of Teratogeny in Vitamin E-Deficient Rats

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Abstract
Congenital malformations were produced in the offspring of rats reared and bred on 4 vitamin E-deficient rations. Variations in the composition of the rations influenced the yield of the abnormal as well as the normal young, the incidence of resorption and the average number of implantation sites. Increasing the level of vitamin E supplementation from 2 to 4 mg on the 10th day of gestation resulted in a uniformly significant increase in the percentage of normal young, but the percentage of abnormal young might be slightly or significantly reduced, or even slightly increased depending upon the ration used. The trace vitamins in crude casein appeared to have caused a decrease in the incidence of resorption as well as an increase in the incidence of abnormal young and the average number of implantation sites. The addition of cod liver oil to a pure synthetic ration resulted in a significant increase in the yield of normal young together with a concomitant significant decrease in the percentage of resorption.