抄録
A thiamin deficient liquid diet was prepared and its effect on rats was compared with the ordinarily used thiamin deficient powder diet. Ethanol was also added to this liquid diet to investigate the effect of ethanol on the development of thiamin deficiency. The composition of the liquid diet was essentially the same as that of the Lieber-DeCarli diet. Homogenous emulsion was obtained by adding sodium carboxymethylcellulose. In the ethanol formula, carbohydrate was isocalorically replaced to the extent of 36% of the total calories. For thiamin deficient rats, thiamin was withheld from the formula, and these rats were compared with the rats fed with an ordinary thiamin deficient powder diet. In the ethanol administration experiment, Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control, ethanol, thiamin deficient and thiamin deficient-ethanol groups. Effects of ethanol administration on liver and alimentary tracts were also studied histopathologically. The decrease in weight was slower in the rats fed with thiamin deficient liquid diet than the rats fed with powder diet. Convulsion occurred 7 days later in the former rats. The intake of the diet did not decrease until a later stage in the former rats. When ethanol was added to the diet of the former rats the lesser gain in body weight was noted, but the development of neurological signs was slower than the former rats. In conclusion, the liquid diet was proved to be better than the ordinary powder diet to make thiamin deficient rats because it seemed not to have other factors causing malnutrition except thiamin deficiency. It is also suitable for the administration of ethanol to the rats, as is the Lieber-DeCarli diet, having good reproducibility. Therefore, this liquid diet seems to be ideal to make an experimental model to study the influences of ethanol on thiamin deficiency.
