Tissue Cation Content of Rats: Effect of supplemental dietary amino acids in pyridoxine and potassium deficiencies

Abstract

A study was made to determine changes in liver, brain, skeletal muscle and blood concentration of K, Na and Mg resulting from dietary deficiencies of pyridoxine and K in growing male rats. The experimental treatments involved supplementation of the deficient diets with deoxypyridoxine (DOP) or pyridoxine and K, either alone or in combination with supplements of casein or the amino acids glycine, lysine or γ-aminobutyric acid. Effects of treatments on survival time, weight gain, food consumption, and liver and brain weights were also determined. No significant alterations in concentrations of brain or liver cations were observed. Muscle K concentration was reduced by supplemental pyridoxine and increased by supplemental K with one exception—the case in which supplemental casein was present simultaneously. Muscle Na concentration was increased by supplemental casein and reduced by supplemental K. Muscle Mg concentration was reduced by supplemental glycine and K. No significant alterations of blood K concentration were observed. Blood Na concentration was increased by DOP and by supplemental K when supplemental lysine was also present. Blood Mg concentration was increased when DOP was present with supplemental K. Supplemental casein and K reduced survival of pyridoxine-deficient animals—the effect being greatest when both were added simultaneously. Supplemental pyridoxine, glycine and K increased gain, whereas DOP and casein reduced gain. Supplemental pyridoxine and K increased food consumption, whereas DOP reduced food consumption. The importance of pyridoxine and cellular cation fluxes to amino acid transport and protein biosynthesis was discussed.