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Production of Urinary Calculi in Vitamin B₆-deficient Male, Female and Castrated Male Rats¹

Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

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.

Manuscript received 8 August 1969.