Brain lipids in pyridoxine-deficient young rats.

Pyridoxine deficiency produced in rats during the period of development of the central nervous system resulted in a decreased incorporation of (1-14C) acetate into total lipid extracts of brain. It also resulted in a uniform decrease in the incorporation of the labeled precursor into the cholesterol, glycolipid and phospholipid fractions of brain. The specific radioactivity of purified cerebrosides and sulfatides was decreased by 78% in pyridoxine-deficient rats with respect to controls. The decreased incorporation of labeled precursor in the deficient rats was not due to the labeled precursor, since the specific radioactivity of brain acetate and the brain concentrations of acetyl coenzyme A and acetate were similar in both deficient and control rats. The results indicate that in pyridoxine deficiency established in the young rat there is an impaired formation of myelin.