THE INFLUENCE OF SOME VITAMIN DEFICIENT DIETS ON A SUBSTANCE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE EPIDERMIS OF THE MOUSE, RAT AND MAN

[摘要] The influence of various vit. deficiencies on a polarographically reducible substance characteristic of epidermis is descr. Some Properties of this compound were not affected by deficiencies of vits. A, D, E or riboflavin. A deficiency in essential fatty acids, arachidonic or linoleic, altered the absorption max. at various pH levels of the epidermal material; bat this may have been due to the presence of the other UV absorbing compounds in the epidermis as a result of the deficiency. This fat-free diet resulted in differentiation of the epidermis and pronounced enlargement of the sebaceous glands. A brief resume of some of the properties of the reducible compounds of epidermis is given. The only condition thus far found to cause disappearance of the compound present in epidermis of the mouse, rat and man is the occurrence of squamous-cell carcinomas in this tissue; even when these carcinomas are highly differentiated, this substance is absent.