[Duodenal lesions produced by pantothenic acid deficiency in animal experiments (author's transl)].

Inflammatory lesions of the duodenal mucosa and duodenal ulcers can be produced in animal experiments by pantothenic acid deficiency. We investigated this model in 30 rats of both sexes aged 2 or 6 months and 1 year. During 3 months the experimental animals were feeded with a diet including all the known nutritional factors except pantothenic acid, while the control animals received a standard diet. Thereafter paraffin and semithin sections of the duodenum showed mucosal changes and lesions (so-called Leistenspitzenerosionen, submucosal oedemas, initial duodenitis) in about three fourths of the experimental animals.--Yet there were no ulcers.--They, however, can be demonstrated when lengthening the experimental period as shown by our investigations using male rats aged 1 year (time for producing ulcers: approximate 5 months).--The duodenal lesions are typical and regularly to be reproduced. In this context their role as a precursor to an ulcer is discussed.