Abstract
Bradycardia increased during the course of thiamine deficiency, leading to heart rate of about 300 in the fifth week. Arrhythmia, increase in the right axis deviation, and changes in ST (elevation or depression) and T (increase or decrease) were found. Thiamine injection to the thiamine-deficient group produced prompt improvement of these electrocardiographical changes, but the injection of vitacamphor or noradrenaline did not. Neostigmine injection to thiamine-deficient group increased bradycardia and arrhythmia, while atropine injection improved arrhythmia. Injection of pyruvic acid to thiamine-deficient group caused elevation of ST, depression of T and slight decrease in heart rate, while injection of lipoic acid following pyruvic acid improved negative T, and increased heart rate. Thiamine-deficient group showed marked increase in hemoglobin and hematocrit, marked decrease in circulatory plasma volume, but no change in serum protein, except slight decrease of albumin in the fourth and fifth week. Constant relation was not found between the change in serum and cardiac muscle electrolytes, and electrocardiographic changes. In thiamine-deficient group marked increase in the heart weight and dilatation of right heart, and increase of fat and degeneration in histological findings were observed, while no significant changes were detected in the control group.
