Necessity of vitamin B12 for growth of rats fed on an odd- or even-carbon-number fat.
1. The effect of vitamin B12 on growth was studied in young male and female rats fed on diets sufficient (+B12) or deficient (-B12) in vitamin B12 containing 30% of the dietary energy as fat, either maize oil (CO) or triundecanoin (TUD). 2. Vitamin B12 deficiency severely depressed growth. After 6 weeks the weight gain of CO(-B12) rats was only 72% of that of CO(+B12) rats and the gain of TUD(-B12) rats was only 47% of TUD(+B12) rats. 3. After fasting 24 or 96 h TUD-fed rats, both +B12 and -B12, had greater glycogen reserves and higher plasma glucose levels than CO-fed rats. 4. It is concluded that vitamin B12 is required for the metabolism and utilization of both an odd-carbon-number medium-chain fat, TUD, and an even-C-number long-chain fat, CO, during growth in rats.
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D008112:Liver Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D013217:Starvation; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000378:metabolism*; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency
D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008112:Liver Glycogen; D014805:Vitamin B 12