Production of Experimental Lathyrism in the Rat by Two Different Beta-substituted Ethylamines

Summary

1. Crystals which were isolated from sweet peas by a method which had previously yielded a toxic product were found to have the same infrared absorption spectrum as synthetic β-aminopropionitrile sulfate. 2. Synthetic β-aminopropionitrile and β-mercaptoethylamine, when fed to rats as their hydrochlorides, both produced skeletal changes similar to those caused by sweet peas. The mercaptoethylamine was the less effective in producing skeletal changes, although preliminary experiments indicate that it is at least as toxic as aminopropionitrile when judged on the basis of lethality. 3. Some of the implications of these findings are discussed.