The Effect of Vitamin B6 Deficiency in Rats on the Metabolism of Oxalic Acid Precursors.

Studies from this laboratory in rats, cats, and monkeys’ have shown that vitamin B6 deficiency is accompanied by a marked increase in endogenous urinary oxalate excretion (1, 2). Studies of oxalate formation are of interest because of the importance of oxalate in urinary calculi (3) and in the genetic disorder, primary hyperoxaluria (4). In this paper alterations caused by vitamin Bg deficiency in the metabolism of a number of compounds which may give rise to oxalic acid have been reported which provide additional information concerning the relationship of vitamin Be deficiency to hyperoxaluria.