PREVENTION AND REMISSION BY ADRENOCORTICAL STEROIDS OF NICOTINAMIDE DEFICIENCY DISORDERS AND OF 6-AMINONICOTINAMIDE TOXICITY IN RATS AND DOGS

¹ Geigy Research, Division of Geigy Chemical Corporation, Ardsley, New York

Adrenocortical steroids have been found to prevent the effects of nicotinamide deficiency in both rats and dogs. In rats, adrenocortical steroids prevented the fetal death and resorption which result from feeding a nicotinamide-deficient diet. The steroids also prevented the decrease in the level of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide which otherwise occurred in animals placed on the deficient diet. In dogs, the steroids prevented and even caused remission of the symptoms of canine pellagra, the deficiency disease produced by feeding a nicotinamide-deficient diet. The toxic effects of 6-aminonicotinamide, an antimetabolite of nicotinamide, could be delayed or prevented, both in rats and in dogs, by administration of adrenocortical steroids.