The Physiology of Vitamin B1

Cowgill, George R.

doi:10.1001/jama.1938.62790110007009

Cited by 21 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 36 publications

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“…The low excretory values obtained on the 3 cases of hepatic disease studied are of interest in view of the widely held opinion that the liver has an important role in the handling of thiamin (18). However, the results in these cases may be attributed to the preceding suboptimal thiamin in- (2).…”

Section: Conditions and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 87%

Urinary Excretion of Thiamin in Clinical Cases and the Value of Such Analyses in the Diagnosis of Thiamin Deficiency 1

Robinson

Melnick²

1940

J. Clin. Invest.

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An accurate and specific method for the determination of thiamin in urine, based on the reaction between the vitamin and diazotized p-aminoacetophenone, has been developed (1). Under suitable conditions, such determinations should give information regarding the state of saturation of an organism with this vitamin. Studies of the urinary excretion of thiamin in normal subjects before and after test doses, the factors influencing such excretion, and the changes associated with experimental deficiency have been reported (2). The present communication deals with determinations of the urinary excretion of thiamin in 89 patients in the University Hospital, correlation of these values with dietary histories of these patients, and the evaluation of the possible association of thiamin deficiency with the clinical conditions encountered. CONDITIONS AND METHODSThe thiamin content of the diet ingested by each patient during the month prior to the test was evaluated on the basis of repeatedly consistent details of the dietary history as obtained by more than one questioner. This was classified as deficient only when obviously so, as suboptimal when the diet was low in protective foods but not grossly deficient, and as adequate when estimations indicated an intake of two-thirds of a milligram (220 international units), or more.Two consecutive 24-hour urine specimens were collected from each patient. Just prior to the beginning of the second sample and after the largest 1938-1940. 8 Upjohn Fellow in Clinical Research, 1937-1940 meal of the day, an aqueous solution of 5 mgm. of thiamin was taken orally. Previous studies (2) indicate the advisability of using the oral route for the test dose and the necessity of giving it with a meal. The first sample was analyzed to give the 24-hour excretion value when the diet furnished the entire supply of the vitamin. As the patients ate the same diet on the 2 consecutive days, the value for the first sample was subtracted from the value obtained by analysis of the second sample in order to calculate the percentage of the test dose excreted in the 24 hours following its administration. The method of analysis has been described in detail elsewhere (1).Since drastic reduction of the dietary thiamin of normal subjects resulted in a rapid decrease of urinary thiamin excretion (2), the thiamin content of the diets ingested on the days of the tests is estimated in the tables. When numerical values are given, calculations are based on the tables compiled by Williams and Spies (3). Unless otherwise indicated, the tests were done before the fifth day of hospitalization. The absence of an appreciable increase in the urinary excretion during the first few days after resumption of a normal thiamin intake by a subject with experimental deficiency (2)

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Section: Conditions and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 87%