Studies on the metabolism of pyruvic acid in normal and vitamin B1-deficient states

Abstract

Blood pyruvate and bradycardia ran parallel in rats suffering from vit. B1-deficiency. Inj. of pyruvate into the circulation of normal rats and rabbits, even above the highest levels occurring in vit. B1-deficiency, had no effect on the heart rate. It is unlikely therefore that the raised blood pyruvate in B1-deficiency is the direct cause of the cardiac symptoms; rather it is itself the result of the metabolic derangements characterizing the condition. This is supported by the fact that blood pyruvate in man may reach the normal level long before the pulse rate does so. Even moderate muscular exercise considerably increases the blood pyruvate.