Rats were given same kind of pantothenic acid defficient diets. Depending on season and characteristic of each rat there was a great difference in the number of days in whichsymptoms appeared and degrees of symptoms. Accordingly it is very difficult to determinethe minimum curative doses of pantothenic acid derivative.
1) When treatment was begun as soon as symptoms appeared, the rats quickly recoveredafter given 30μg D-calcium pantothenate or D-pantothenol daily. In cases of DL-derivativesabout double the doses were necessary.
2) When rats with a typical high degree of pantothenic acid defficient symptoms were given30μg D-pantothenic acid derivatives daily, although the symptoms showed slight recovery, they finally died.
3) In the treatment of experimental pantothenic acid deficiency a single large dose is moreeffective than several small doses.
4) As central nervous disturbances were often observed in pantothenic acid defficient rats, we believe they are one of the pantothenic acid defficient symptoms. The peripheral nervousdisturbances always appearing are mainly hyper-algesia, however the central nervousdisturbances are mainly extrapyramidal lesion.
