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Vitamin B-6 Metabolism and Turnover in the Ethanol-Fed Rat¹

Department of Biochemistry, School of Hygiene and Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205

The effect of long-term ethanol supplementation on vitamin B-6 metabolism and storage was studied in McCollum rats receiving approximately 30% of their caloric intake as ethanol. Hepatic pyridoxal 5'-phosphate levels were significantly depressed in the ethanol-fed animals. However, total hepatic vitamin B-6 levels were slightly higher than in control animals because of a marked increase in pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate levels. The metabolism of a labeled pyridoxine dose appeared unaffected by ethanol administration, with the final distribution of labeled metabolites, almost entirely pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate, mirroring that observed with unlabeled endogenous vitamin B-6. The daily turnover of total-body vitamin B-6 stores in ethanol-fed animals (2.7%) was lower than in control animals (3.8%). Whether this resulted from ethanol administration or a reduced vitamin B-6 intake was not ascertained. However, it was apparent that ethanol did not increase the turnover of total-body vitamin B-6 or decrease total-body stores of the vitamin, which were similar in both groups of animals on a body store per kilogram weight basis. Pyridoxic acid excretion reflected vitamin B-6 intake in both groups of animals and accounted for approximately 30% of the total excreted vitamin.

KEY WORDS: • vitamin B-6 • ethanol

¹ Supported in part by grant 543 from the Nutrition Foundation.

Manuscript received 27 October 1981.