• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.426-434
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• 1995

The purpose of this study were to investigate the effect of fasting and vitamin B6 repletion on tissue concentration of pyridoxal 5-phosphate and urinary excreteion of 4-pyridoxic acid in vitamin B6 deficient rats. Sixty six rats(6 per group) were fed either a vitamin B6 deficient diet (-B6) or a control diet (+B6) for 6 weeks and then rats were repleted with +B6 diet for 2 weeks. Rats were fasted for 1 and 3 days and for 3 days after repletion. Pyridoxal 5-phosphate (PLP) concentration in plasma, liver, skeletal muscle, and heart muscle and urinary 4-pyridoxic acid (4-PA) excretion were compared. Fasting resulted in a significant increase in PLP concentration in the plasma, liver and heart muscle of rats fed the -B6 diet. Skeletal muscle PLP concentration was significantly decreased in +B6 rats but not in -B6 rats. Following vitamin B6 repletion, PLP concentration in the plasma, liver and heart muscle in previously -B6 rats was similar to the respective concentration in +B6 rats while PLP concentration in the skeletal muscle of previously -B6 rats increased, but it was not reached to that of +B6 rats. At day 1 and 2 of the fast, urinary 4-PT excretion increased in both +B6 and -B6 rats although there was no supply of vitamin B6 due to fasting. These results suggest that vitami B6 is redistributed as PLP when there is a caloric deficit and PLP is supplied by an endogenous source, possibly PLP bound to skeletal muscle glycogen phosphorylase.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.167-174
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• 1989

The purpose of this study was to determine if vitamin B-2 and vitamin B-6 deficiency affects hematologic profile in vivo. Rats were fed a vitamin B-2 deficient (-B2) diet or a vitamin B-6 deficient (- B6) diet or a combined vitamin B-2 and vitamin B-6 deficient (-B2-B6) diet or a control diet for 6 weeks. Hematocrit (Ht), hemoglobin (Hb), plasma iron (PI), transferrin saturation (TS) and liver iron concentration (LI) were compared. In -B2 rats vs. control rats, PI, TS and LI were significantly lower but Ht and Hb were not. In - B6 rats vs. control, Ht and Hb were significanty lower but LI was higher. The -B2-B6 rats had intermediate effects in Hb, PI, TS and LI and a decrease in Ht. The repletion with a contro diet for 2 weeks resulted in significant improvements in hematologic indices and LI in both - B2 rats and - B6 rats. This study suggests that the intakes of vitamin B-2 and vitamin B-6 are important for preventive and therap\ulcornereutic approaches to improve the hematologic status in nutritionally anemic groups.