Erythrocyte Survival of Rats Deficient in Vitamin E or Vitamin B6

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Abstract
Rats were fed diets deficient in vitamin E or B6, and the characteristic changes in growth rate, urinary creatine-to-creatinine ratios, and urinary xanthurenic acid output were observed. The maximal erythrocyte survival of rats fed a vitamin E-deficient diet for 138 days was less than values obtained from replete animals, as determined by the Cr51 method. After the diet was fed for 265 days, the difference was even greater. The bodies and organs of vitamin E-deficient rats contained more Cr51 than those of replete controls. Vitamin B6 deficiency resulted in a small, but significant, increase in maximal survival time of erythrocytes. Whole-body Cr51 determinations did not reveal a difference between vitamin B6-deficient and replete rats. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to blood destruction and sequestration in the reticuloendothelial system.