Morphologische und histochemische Untersuchungen von Haut. Schleimhäuten und Klauen bei Schweinen mit experimentellem Biotinmangel⁴

The study investigated the effects of biotin deficiency in 6 improved Landschwein pigs starting at 4 weeks of age. After 8-10 weeks on a biotin-deficient diet, the pigs exhibited significant clinical symptoms, including hair loss, pustule formation on the skin, and the development of weak, brittle, and crusty horn material on the claws. Microscopic examination after 15 weeks revealed circumscribed necrosis in the stratum corneum of the skin, oral and esophageal mucosa, and claws, particularly affecting the inner root sheath of hair follicles. These changes varied widely among individual pigs. Histochemical differences between deficient and control pigs were only observed when pathological changes were already present in the epithelium.