CHANGES IN BLOOD-CHEMISTRY HEMATOLOGY, AND HISTOLOGY CAUSED BY A SELENIUM VITAMIN-E DEFICIENCY AND RECOVERY IN CHICKS/

Exudative diathesis, a condition caused by a selenium (Se)/vitamin E d eficiency, was studied in chicks. Trios of chicks that showed clinical signs of exudative diathesis were matched for severity. One was injec ted subcutaneously with 0.5 mt distilled water, and the other two rece ived 15 mu g of Se in 0.5 mt distilled water. A chick fed a diet with supplemental Se also received 0.5 mt distilled water. Blood was collec ted from three chicks 2 d after injection, and from the other chick, 6 d after injection. After blood was collected, pectoral muscle and bon e marrow were collected. Deficient chicks showed varying degrees of ne crosis in pectoral muscle, whereas recovering chicks had extensive fib rosis in pectoral muscle. An analysis of blood showed differences in C O2, glucose, Se, glutathione peroxidase, alanine aminotransferase, asp artate aminotransferase, and creatine kinase. Heterophils and monocyte s were increased in deficient chicks; lymphocytes, basophils, and hemo globin decreased. After 6 d of recovery, all of the changes noted abov e were correcting toward normal. Eosinophils, in contrast, were unaffe cted by a deficiency, but increased in recovering chicks. It is hypoth esized that cytokines associated with the inflammatory response accent uate the clinical signs of exudative diathesis.