Effect of pyridoxine on red cell fatty acid composition in mature rats fed an essential fatty acid-deficient diet
Zehaluk, C.M.; Walker, B.L.
Journal of Nutrition 103(11): 1548-1553
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-3166 PMID: 4752092 Document Number: 65294
Male Wistar rats were fed on diets with 10% maize oil with or without pyridoxine. One pyridoxine-supplemented group was pair-fed with the derived group. After 12 weeks, each group was divided into two subgroups which were fed on diets deficient in essential fatty acids (EFA), containing 10% hydrogenated coconut oil with or without pyridoxine, for 20 weeks. Blood samples were taken from the tail vein at 4-week intervals and erythrocyte fatty acids were estimated. 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 that group of rats than from any other group. Animals receiving vitamin B-6 throughout the experiment showed the smallest changes in tissue fatty acid composition. The effects of changing the vitamin B-6 content 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 but the final concentrations of arachidonic acid did not differ in the two groups.