Production of Urinary Calculi in Vitamin B6-deficient Male, Female and Castrated Male Rats

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Evidence has been obtained indicating that there is a sex effect on the formation of urinary calcium oxalate stones in vitamin B6-deficient rats. When weanling rats were fed the deficient diet for 7 weeks, the prevalence and size of apical incrustations were greater in male than female or castrated male rats. When young adult rats were fed the deficient diets for 3 months, urinary stone formation appeared greatest in castrated male rats and least in females. After 6 months on the deficient diet, calculus formation was more marked than at 3 months and the differences between groups disappeared. The data of these studies suggest that the requirement for vitamin B6 is greater in male rats than in the other groups as demonstrated by a higher mortality and more rapidly increased excretion of xanthurenic and oxalic acids. Evidence has also been obtained using growth rates and liver storage of vitamin B6 in weanling rats fed varying levels of the vitamin that females may require less of the vitamin than male rats.
Keywords