B6-deficient Rats Research Articles

Relationship of Vitamin B6 to the Met

SummaryHomogenized kidney from rats deficient in vitamin B6 exhibited only one third as much D-amino acid oxidase activity as did normal rat kidney homogenates. However, when the food intake of control animals was restricted to that of the B6 dieficient group there was no significant difference between the two groups in their kidney D-amino acid oxidase activity.A gavage supplement of D-amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine and valine) to vitamin B6 deficient rats greatly depresses dietary nitrogen utilization. Simultaneous injection of, or an adequate dietary supply of, vitamin B6 completely overcomes this effect.Supplements of the L-isomers of the same amino acids or an equivalent amount of inorganic nitrogen effected a smaller depression of dietary nitrogen utilization, thus pointing to a specific relationship between D-amino acid metabolism and vitamin B6.

Urinary Excretion of Vitamin B6 in the Rat

SummaryA colorimetric method for the determination of vitamin B6 has been used to study the urinary excretion of the vitamin in the rat. At high dose levels (10 mg per kg and above) 50 to 70% of the vitamin is excreted by both normal and deficient rats. The vitamin is rapidly and completely absorbed and is rapidly excreted. At low levels (2 mg per kg) the data are qualitative, but normal rats appear to excrete a higher percentage of the ingested vitamin than B6–deficient rats.