Oral Administration of Co60 Vitamin B12 to Normal Persons, Patients With Pernicious Anemia, and Subjects With Various Medical Disorders

Abstract

Following oral admn. of 1.0 [mu]g. of Co60 vit. B12, 3 normal persons excreted 8-41% of radioactive Co in the stools. Patients with cardiac disease, cirrhosis of the liver, lymphomatous diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and myasthenia gravis excreted 11-100% of administered activity. Excretion of C060 in stools bore no apparent relationship to presence of free HC1 in gastric juice. Duplicate detns. of fecal radioactivity varied up to 3-fold. Excretion of Co60 in 10 patients with pernicious anemia ranged from 48-100%. Addition of 100 ml. of neutralized normal gastric juice reduced fecal radioactivity in some patients with pernicious anemia 24-43%. Two mg. of folic acid and 25 mg. of hog duodenal mucosa extract did not alter excretion of Co60 in 6 patients with pernicious anemia.