title: Human vitamin B-6 pools estimated through muscle biopsies.
abstract: Previous estimates of total vitamin B-6 pools in humans based on extrapolations from tracer studies yielded values of 107-190 mumol when the tracer was administered orally and 345-725 mumol when the tracer was administered intravenously. To obtain a more direct estimate of vitamin B-6 pools, muscle biopsies from five female and seven male adults were analyzed by cation-exchange chromatography. Total muscle mass was estimated from creatinine excretion and the assumption that muscle is 40% of the body weight. The total muscle vitamin B-6 pool was estimated to be 917 +/- 319 mumol in the females and 850 +/- 216 mumol in the males. Because muscle accounts for approximately 80% of the vitamin B-6 in the body, the total body pool of vitamin B-6 in adult humans is probably approximately 1000 mumol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Fort Wayne State Developmental Center, IN 46835.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Coburn
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Mahuren
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Schaltenbrand
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Costill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase / Q000032:analysis; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000032:analysis* / Q000201:enzymology; D006005:Phosphorylases / Q000032:analysis; D011735:Pyridoxic Acid / Q000652:urine; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011735:Pyridoxic Acid; D003404:Creatinine; D002950:Citrate (si)-Synthase; D006005:Phosphorylases; D011736:Pyridoxine