Biotin deficiency and liver metabolism in relation to fatty liver and kidney syndrome.

Varying degrees of biotin deficiency were induced by adding freeze-dried, raw egg white to the diet of broiler chicks. Aspects of liver metabolism were studied with reference to fatty liver and kidney syndrome. Mortality was low with 11.8 g egg white/kg diet, or less, but with 17.7 g/kg or more, mortality was very high. High mortality was observed with less than 0.33 microgram biotin/g liver. Associated with low concentrations of liver biotin were substantial increases in liver weight and lipid content in starved birds. The increased liver lipid content was not observed in birds fed ad libitum. The increased liver lipid content in biotin-deficient, starved birds was not reflected in the specific activities of hepatic lipogenic enzymes or hepatic lipogenesis in vivo measured by the incorporation of tritium from 3H-labelled water into liver lipid. Biotin deficiency affected the specific activities of the biotin-requiring enzymes, pyruvate carboxylase and acetyl CoA carboxylase, differently; the latter was unaffected whereas the former decreased concomitantly with liver biotin concentration.