Abstract
RATS fed on diets containing certain yeasts as their sole source of protein develop a dietary necrotic liver degeneration, leading to early and rapid death. Necrogenic diets are deficient in three factors, vitamin E1, cystine2 and a ‘Factor 3’3, each of which will alone prevent the manifestations of disease. Potent Factor 3 concentrates have been prepared from casein hydrolysates4 and, recently, Schwarz and Foltz5 have shown that similar concentrates prepared from kidney powder hydrolysates contain selenium in bound form. Addition of sodium selenite to rat diets (to supply 4 µgm. of selenium per 100 gm. of diet) gave complete protection against death from liver necrosis during the experimental period of thirty days, indicating that selenium might be part of Factor 3. Schwarz and Foltz have inferred that “selenium is an essential trace element”.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Schwarz, K., Z. physiol. Chem., 281, 106 (1944).
Hock, A., and Fink, H., Z. physiol. Chem., 278, 136 (1943).
Schwarz, K., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 78, 852 (1951).
Schwarz, K., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 80, 319 (1952).
Schwarz, K., and Foltz, C. M., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 79, 3292 (1957)
Monier-Williams, C. W., “Trace Elements in Food” (Chapman and Hall, London, 1950).
Chernick, S. S., Moe, J. G., Rodnan, G. P., and Schwarz, K., J. Biol. Chem., 217, 829 (1955).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
BUNYAN, J., EDWIN, E. & GREEN, J. Protective Effect of Trace Elements other than Selenium against Dietary Necrotic Liver Degeneration. Nature 181, 1801 (1958). https://doi.org/10.1038/1811801a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1811801a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.