Toe Lesions Following Tobacco Injections in Rats

Abstract

During the past 5 years we have attempted to produce gangrenous lesions of the extremities in rabbits and cats by the injections of tobacco or nicotine. We hoped in this way to study the possible rôle played by tobacco in the etiology of thrombo-angiitis obliterans. The results have been consistently disappointing. Stimulated by the work or Rothlin and McGrath who produced gangrenous lesions in the rat's tail by the use of ergotamine, we decided to employ albino rats for our experiments with tobacco. This preliminary report deals with the findings in a series of 48 male and 12 female rats subjected to injections of tobacco extract. In addition, a group of animals was subjected to inhalation of tobacco smoke and another group was given injections of the pure alkaloid nicotine tartrate. A Ringer's solution extract was prepared from a commercially denicotinized tobacco from which about 60% of the nicotine had been removed. The injections were given intraperitoneally once every day. The amount first injected was equivalent to one sublethal mouse unit. This was gradually increased so that by the end of the fourth week approximately 3 sublethal mouse units were administered daily. Of 48 male rats treated with injections of denicotinized tobacco, 33 developed gangrene of the toes within 5 to 12 weeks. None of the 12 female rats treated for 5 to 18 weeks developed this lesion. In 10 control male animals, living under identical conditions, no gangrene developed.