Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) toxicity: enhancement by uremia in rats.
Pyridoxine is not completely innocuous. Large doses can cause a peripheral neuropathy despite renal excretion of this water-soluble vitamin. Renal failure patients are treated with pyridoxine to prevent a deficiency. The safety of pyridoxine treatment in the presence of renal dysfunction has not been studied. Our experiments on anephric rats show that the uremic state, in a mere 3 or 4 days, causes a 5- to 10-fold increase in susceptibility to pyridoxine-induced neuronopathy. These results suggest a need for caution in prescribing pyridoxine to uremic patients who will probably take the vitamin daily for many years.
Levine
S
S
Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA. levines@nki.rfmh.org
Saltzman
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D012668:Trigeminal Ganglion / Q000473:pathology; D014511:Uremia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*
D003404:Creatinine; D011736:Pyridoxine