Effects of Anorexia and X-Irradiation on Vitamin B6 Excretion in Rats

Abstract
Adult female albino Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to 500 r (backscatter) of whole-body x-irradiation exhibit an increase in the urinary excretion of the B6 group of vitamins beginning on the 2nd day after irradiation. However, control animals, whose food intake was limited to that of the irradiated group, excreted amounts of vitamin B6 that were quantitatively similar. It is concluded that the increase of vitamin B6 excretion found after x-irradiation is a reflection of the irradiation-induced anorexia and is not due to tissue changes brought about by irradiation per se.