Abstract
In order to elucidate the effect of thiamine on the central nervous system, thiamine deficient rats with evidences of Wernicke's encephalopathy were made. The rats were divided into the following four groups: (1) the rats fed thiamine deficient diet, (2) the rats as same as group (1) receiving thiamine injection for two days at the end of the feeding, (3) the rats fed a control diet ad libitum, and (4) the pair fed rats. Histological studies of the brains of each group were made with a light-and electronmicroscope. Thiamine concentrations in the cerebrum, brain stem and cerebellum were also measured by a thiochrome procedure. In the thiamine deficient rats (group (1)), microhemorrhages and alterations in the neural elements, particularly in the vestibular nuclei, were noted. These changes were analogous to those of Wernicke's encephalopathy seen in human. Depletion of thiamine concentration in the brain tissue was also prominent in this group. However, a short term administration of thiamine was associated with a considerable repairing of these lesions, and an increase in tissue thiamine.
