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Effect of Pyridoxine on Red Cell Fatty Acid Composition in Mature Rats Fed an Essential Fatty Acid-deficient Diet¹

Department of Nutrition, University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Male Wistar rats were fed diets containing 10% corn oil and supplemented with or deficient in pyridoxine. One pyridoxine-supplemented group was pairfed with the deficient group. After 12 weeks, each group was divided into two subgroups which were fed diets containing 10% hydrogenated coconut oil and supplemented or deficient in pyridoxine for 20 weeks. Blood samples were taken from the tail vein at 4-week intervals and erythrocyte fatty acids analyzed. Lack of pyridoxine for the entire experiment resulted in the most rapid loss of erythrocyte arachidonate and incorporation of oleic and eicosatrienoic acids. At the end of the experiment, there was less arachidonic acid and more oleic and eicosatrienoic acids in erythrocyte lipids from this group of rats than from any other group. Animals receiving vitamin B₆ throughout the experiment exhibited the smallest changes in tissue fatty acid composition. The effects of changing the B₆ status of the diet in the second phase of the experiment were less well defined. Loss of arachidonic acid from the erythrocyte after imposition of the EFA-deficient diet was more rapid if pyridoxine deficiency accompanied the EFA deficiency rather than preceding it. However, the final concentrations of arachidonic acid did not differ in these two groups.

KEY WORDS: • pyridoxine • fatty acid

¹ Supported by the National Research Council of Canada and the Ontario Department of Agriculture and Food.

Manuscript received 24 January 1973.