Congenital deformities produced in hamsters by potato sprouts.

Dried gound potato sprout preparations from seven varieties produced congenital deformities in one strain of hamsters. Incidence of affected litters varied from 8 to 25%, depending on potato variety. Certain steroidal solanum and veratrum alkaloids produced similar defects.

Pentose phosphate metabolism of potato tuber discs as influenced by prior storage temperature.

Tubers of Solanum tuberosum L. var. Russet Burbank, Kennebec, and Targhee were stored at 95% relative humidity and at 1.

Occurrence of spontaneous hemorrhagic necrosis of the central nervous system in fetal hamsters.

Lesions of hamster fetal neuraxial tissues, characterized by multifocal and coalescent zones of hemorrhage, edema, and necrosis in the cerebral mantle, brainstem, and spinal cord, were observed in experiments designed to test the teratogenicity of potato preparations. Retrospective and prospective data indicated, however, that the potato preparations were not responsible but that the disease occurred spontaneously in the colony and was associated with direct breeding contact of virgin females with certain males. Observations suggest that an infectious agent may be responsible, but no agent was recovered.