Effect of diet on Heinz body formation in kittens.
Heinz body formation was examined in kittens, in response to consumption of a variety of diets. A commercial salmon-based diet containing 16.5 mg of nitrite, 39 mg of histamine, and 210,000 IU of vitamin A/kg of diet (dry-matter basis) was found to induce Heinz body formation. Purified experimental diets--containing nitrite up to 405 mg/kg; histamine, 50 mg/kg; histamine 50 mg/kg plus nitrite, 45 mg/kg; or vitamin A, 250,000 IU/kg--failed to induce Heinz body formation. The effect of propylene glycol (PG) on Heinz body formation was examined by giving groups of 6 kittens purified diets containing 5 or 10% PG for 12 weeks. Two additional kittens were fed a commercial soft-moist diet containing PG for 12 weeks. All kittens fed PG developed Heinz bodies, with peak values for erythrocytes containing Heinz bodies being: 28% for kittens of the 10% PG group; 20% for kittens of the 5% PG group; and 36% for kittens of the soft-moist diet group. Kittens did not develop anemia or methemoglobinemia. Heinz body percentage required 6 to 8 weeks to decrease to the pretreatment value of less than 1% after diets containing PG were discontinued. 51Chromium-labeled erythrocytes were used to evaluate erythrocyte survival in 4 kittens of the 10% PG-fed group and in 4 control kittens. Kittens with Heinz body formation induced by 10% PG had significantly (P less than 0.001) decreased erythrocyte-survival, compared with that for controls, with half-life of 8.3 days for kittens of the PG group, compared with 12.6 days for kittens of the control group.
Hickman
M A
MA
Department of Physiological Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616.
Rogers
Q R
QR
Morris
J G
JG
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000097:blood*; D004032:Diet; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006366:Heinz Bodies / Q000187:drug effects*; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D019946:Propylene Glycol; D011409:Propylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000494:pharmacology
D011409:Propylene Glycols; D014801:Vitamin A; D019946:Propylene Glycol; D006632:Histamine