Effect of vitamin B6 deficiency on glycogen metabolism in the skeletal muscle, heart, and liver of rats.

The effect of vitamin B6 deficiency was studied on glycogen metabolism in the gastrocnemius muscle, heart, and liver of rats. The glycogen phosphorylase activities in the gastrocnemius muscle and heart but not in the liver of vitamin B6-deficient rats were significantly decreased. The decrease in the enzyme activity in the gastrocnemius muscle was due to decrease in the amount of enzyme. The glycogen content of the muscle of vitamin B6-deficient rats was higher than that of the controls, but the glycogen content of the liver was similar in the two groups. These data suggest that glycogen degradation was impaired in the muscle but not the liver of vitamin B6-deficient rats.