American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 53, 935-942, Copyright © 1991 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Vitamin B-6 deficiency and renal function and structure in chronically uremic rats

M Wolfson, AH Cohen and JD Kopple
Nephrology Section, Portland VA Medical Center, OR 97207.

In preliminary studies, rats with chronic renal failure (CRF) demonstrated worsening renal function, as measured by urea clearance, when fed vitamin B-6-deficient diets. However, urea clearance is not a precise measure of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and these studies did not indicate the mechanism for the reduced GFR. To measure renal function more precisely and to assess whether B-6 deficiency augments renal injury, we examined [14C]inulin clearance, urine oxalate excretion, and renal histopathology in rats with CRF pair fed to receive a pyridoxine-replete or -deficient diet for 3 or 6 wk. After 3 or 6 wk, pyridoxine-deficient rats had significantly lower [14C]inulin clearances and increased urine oxalate excretion. Histological evaluation indicated increased renal damage in kidneys from pyridoxine- deficient rats as compared with tissue from pyridoxine-replete rats. These findings suggest that in rats with CRF, vitamin B-6 deficiency reduces the GFR and increases renal scarring.

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