[Adaptive processes occurring during the development of thiamine deficiency].

In the presence of the total of the level of vitamin B1 derivatives, the liver shows an uniform decrease in the content of thiamine diphosphate (TDP) with phase changes in the activities of thiamine phosphokinase and thiamine pyrophosphatase. The activity of transketolase and the blood ratio of cholo- and apoform enzyme seen over time are liable to phase oscillations which are likely to mirror the involvement of the enzyme in TDP deposition and transport. The data obtained are regarded as evidence for adaptive shifts in the metabolism of thiamine proper, aimed at partial compensation for its deficiency by redistribution of the vitamin among different tissue of the body.