Blood and liver folacin activity, formiminoglutamic acid excretion, growth and hematology in guinea pigs fed a folacin deficient diet with and without sulfonamides.

Dietary folacin deficiency in the presence and absence of dietary sulfonamides was studied in the guinea pig for the purpose of relating the growth and hematologic effects of folacin deficiency to tissue and biochemical changes. Six-week old female guinea pigs fed control and folacin deficient diets with and without 0.1% sulfonamides for 6 to 7 weeks. Growth was significantly reduced in both groups fed the folacin deficient diets, and 25% of all deficient animals died. Macrocytic anemia was not present, but reduced leukocyte numbers were observed in folacin deficiency. Plasma and red blood cell folacin activities were reduced by about 50% in deficient guinea pigs in the presence and absence of dietary sulfonamides. Both liver total folacin activity and urinary formiminoglutamic acid excretion were not significantly altered by the degree of folacin deficiency obtained in this study.