The Oxygen Uptake of Tissues in Vitamin

Peters and his associates (1) demonstrated that there is a reduced oxygen consumption of the brain of polyneuritic pigeons. Addition of minute amounts of crystalline vitamin B1 in vitro to the avitaminous brain tissue restores the diminished tissue respiration. O’Brien and Peters (2) observed that the brains of vitamin B1-deficient rats and pigeons alike produced pyruvate in vitro and that the presence of added vitamin BI removed the pyruvate. The conclusion drawn was that vitamin B, acts as a catalyst and is used by the tissue at some stage in the combustion of carbohydrates. Lactic acid oxidation by normal and polyneuritic chick tissue was investigated by Sherman and Elvehjem (3) by means of oxygen uptake studies, determinations of lactic acid removal, and estimations of methylene blue reduction time. No significant disturbances in lactate oxidation were observed in brain tissue, but in the avitaminous heart a decreased rate of oxygen uptake during lactic acid removal was found. Lactate oxidation was not affected in avitaminous brain by the addition of vitamin B1, but in the avit’aminous heart similar addition produced increased oxygen uptake. Addition of pyruvate inhibited lactic acid dehydrogenase activity to a greater extent in avitaminous heart and kidney than in normal tissues. Lipschitz, Potter, and Elvehjem (4) reported that the ability