As a part of the studies on nicotine, the author conducted the following experiments employing fertilized hens' eggs.
The influence of nicotine on the excretion of vitamin B1 into the allantoic fluid and on the vitamin B1 content of the liver was first investigated. Further, the vitamin B1 contents of amniotic fluid and hydropic fluid were determined in order to investigate the transference of vitamin B1 through the body fluid. Further, the excretion of pyruvic acid into the allantoic fluid by the addition of nicotine was investigated, thus the influence of nicotine on the sugar metabolism of chick embryo Fwas investigated. On the other hand, histological changes in the heart induced by nicotine were investigated and were compared with the changes in the liver which were described by Kiwaki et al. The followings are the principal result.
1) In the case with the administration of nicotine of low concentration the difference in the body weight of chick embryo was not large when compared with that of the controls. However, with a higher concentration, the body weight of chick embryo demonstrated a tendency of decrease. Hydropsia, growth arrest (dwarfism) and other malformations in the chick embryo became more marked as the concentration of nicotine became higher.
2) The amount of allantoic fluid became smaller as the concentration of nicotine added became higher. Especially, the decrease in the amount of allantoic fluid was found marked in the case of hydropic chick embryo.
3) The decrease in the vitamin B1 content in the allantoic fluid was first recognized when the amount of nicotine added reached 1.5 mg, and the decrease bacame marked as the amount of nicotine became larger.
4) The vitamin B1 content of the liver markedly increased as the incubation progressed.
5) The vitamin B1 content of the liver first demonstrated a tendency of decrease when the amount of nicotine added reached 1.5 mg, and the decrease became marked as the amount of nicotine added became larger as in the case of allantoic fluid.
6) In the control cases, the amount of amniotic fluid reached the maximum on the 12 th day, and slightly decreased gradually thereafter.
7) The vitamin B1 content of the amniotic fluid in the case with the addition of nicotinn demonstrated a tendency of decrease when compared with the controls.
8) Vitamin B1 was transferred into the hydropic fluid in the case added with 3.0 mg of nicotine.
9) The amount of pyruvic acid in the allantoic fluid was found increased by the addition of nicotine when compared with the controls.
10) Generally, the histopathological changes in the heart of chick embryo induced by the addition of nicotine were not remarkable. However, when compared with the controls, hydropsia, looseness, increase in the connective tissue and necrosis in addition to general mild atrophy of muscle fibres and circulatory failure were recognized.
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