Effect of Pyridoxine Deficiency on Rat Adrenal Phosphorylase. ∗

Abstract

Summary

Female, Holtzman rats were fed a pyridoxine deficient diet for periods of up to 80 days while pair-weighed controls consumed the same diet containing pyridoxine. Animals from both groups were killed at intervals beginning on the 35th day and adrenal homogenates were prepared for assay of enzyme activities. In deficient rats adrenal phosphorylase activity was reduced by approximately 30% (P = <0.001), while glucoses-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was not altered. Reduction in adrenal phosphorylase was comparable to decrease in liver phosphorylase observed in earlier studies but was less than the decline in muscle phosphorylase. It is suggested that pyridoxal phosphate is a cofactor of adrenal phosphorylase.