Effect of postweanling pyridoxine deficiency on growth and concentration of the coenzyme pyridoxal-5'-phosphate in heart, kidneys, lungs, and adrenals in rats.

Dietary pyridoxine deficiency induced in postweanling rats to led to severe growth retardation and growth failure, with a sharp increase in the mortality rate after about 8 weeks on the diet. The absolute weights of heart, lungs, kidneys, and adrenals were all lower in the deficient animals than those of the controls. However, when the weights were expressed in terms of percentage of body weight, a 2-fold increase was observed indicative of marked hypertrophy. The depletion of the coenzyme pyridoxal-5'-phosphate from these tissues was extensive (heart 48%, lungs 85%, and kidneys and adrenals 88%.) The extent of loss of the coenzyme from the tissues suggests possible functional changes.