THE EXCRETION OF PANTOTHENIC ACID AND ASCORBIC ACID BY INTACT AND ADRENALECTOMIZED RATS ON DIETS SUPPLEMENTED WITH AND DEFICIENT IN PANTOTHENIC ACID

Abstract

The excretion of pantothenic and ascorbic acid was studied in intact and adrenalectomized rats under the following conditions: (1) 30-day-old rats were placed on a diet deficient in pantothenic acid for 30 days. At the end of this period the pantothenate excretion averaged 0.003 mg./rat/day; (2) then the diet was supplemented with 4 mg. of pantothenate/rat daily and the rats of one group were adrenalectomized. Excretion of pantothenate in both intact and adrenalectomized rats was followed for 115 days. The excretion rose sharply in both groups and there was no difference in the intact and adrenalectomized animals. Both excreted 60%, of the ingested dose. At 119 days pantothenate was discontinued in 2 intact and 4 adrenalectomized rats. The excretion decreased to the same degree in both intact and adrenalectomized animals and after 10 days the avg. excretion was 0.009 mg./rat/day. The excretion of ascorbic acid was studied in intact rats on Nuchow diets ai various ages and in intact and adrenalectomized rats on deficient diets and on diets supplemented with pantothenate. In normal rats at every age period the females excreted more ascorbic acid than did the males. The greatest excretion occurred in both at 45 days of age. Excretion of ascorbic acid in young rats was much lower after the 30-day period of pantothenate deficiency (0.4 mg./100 g. of rat wt./day) compared to 2 mg./100 g. of rat wt./day in rats of the same age on Nuchow. Addition of pantothenate to the diet was associated with an increase in ascorbic acid excretion in the intact rats but this did not occur in the adrenalectomized rats receiving similar amts. of pantothenate. In the latter the excretion remained at about 0.25 mg./lOO g. rat wt./day. The data show that excretion of pantothenate is not affected by adrenalectomy but that the excretion of ascorbic acid decreases in young rats when the diet is deficient in pantothenate and remains decreased when animals are adrenalectomized, even when pantothenic acid is added to the diet. The suggestion is that the adrenals are concerned with the synthesis of ascorbic acid,and during the period of deficiency of pantothenic acid in young rats the adrenal cortex atrophies and this is reflected in the low excretion of ascorbic acid.