CONJOINT EFFECTS OF PYRIDOXINE DEFICIENCY AND ANTERIOR PITUITARY GROWTH HORMONE ADMINISTRATION IN THE RAT

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Abstract
IT HAS been shown in enzymatic studies (Cammarata and Cohen, 1950; Armstrong, Feldott and Lardy, 1950) and investigations with intact rats (Sheppard and McHenry, 1946; Hawkins, MacFarland and Mc-Henry 1946; Beaton, Ballantyne,. Lau, Steckley and McHenry, 1950) that vitamin B6 affects nitrogen metabolism. Anterior pituitary growth hormone has been stated to promote nitrogen retention (Li and Evans, 1947; Russell, 1951). In order to determine whether the hormone would exert its anabolic influence in rats rendered deficient by dietary restriction of vitamin B6 and by the administration of the vitamin antagonist, desoxypyridoxine, three studies differing somewhat in experimental detail were performed. EXPERIMENTAL In all experiments, albino rats of the Wistar strain were housed in individual screen-bottomed cages and fed either a fat-free, 15% casein diet or a 20% corn oil, 20% casein diet as noted. Except for sucrose, the other ingredients in per cent by weight were common to both regimens: salts mixture (Steenbock and Nelson, 1923)