Cortical-evoked responses in pyridoxine-deficient rats
Stewart, C.N.; Coursin, D.B.; Bhagavan, H.N.
Journal of Nutrition 103(3): 462-467
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-3166 PMID: 4688159 Document Number: 62745
Weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were given a synthetic diet or a diet deficient in vitamin B-6. Growth rate was decreased in rats on the deficient diet for 6 weeks. After 7 weeks some of the rats were used for electroencephalographic studies; the others were killed and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP), the coenzyme form of vitamin B-6, was estimated in the brain. The latency of visually evoked cortical response was used as an indication of the reaction of the central nervous system (CNS) to stimulation in rats with chronic electrodes implanted on the surface of the dura over the visual cortex and vertex and also in the os nasale. The deprived rats showed significant increases in latency which were reversed by pyridoxine treatment. There was a decrease of about 50% in PLP content of brain from deprived rats compared with controls. It is concluded that imposition of vitamin B-6 deficiency in rats during the postweaning period when most of the CNS development is complete is capable of producing changes in CNS function.