Effects of Deficiencies of Pyridoxine, Riboflavin and Thiamine upon the Catecholamine Content of Rat Tissues

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The effect of deficiency of three vitamins upon the catecholamine content of several tissues has been studied in the rat. Riboflavin deficiency induced decreases in liver epinephrine and norepinephrine, and in brain norepinephrine, but not in the adrenal glands or spleen. The adrenal glands of thiamine-deficient animals did not differ significantly in epinephrine or norepinephrine concentration from those of their controls. Pyridoxine-deficient rats showed no changes in the catecholamine content of the adrenal glands, liver, brain, spleen and heart which were not attributable to concomitant changes in body weight or organ weight as a result of the deficiency. Pyridoxine deficient rats showed a decreased ability to form urinary dopamine from administered dopa. α-Methyl-m-tyrosine, an inhibitor of dopa decarboxylase, interfered with this conversion of dopa to dopamine in both deficient and vitamin B6-supplemented rats receiving either D- or L-dopa.