EFFECT OF DIETARY VITAMIN-B-6 INTAKE LEVE LS DURING GRAVIDITY AND LACTATION ON THE ACTIVITY OF SPECIFIC TRANSAMINASES IN LACTATING RATS

Eighty female Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 257 g were fed during gravi dity a semisynthetic diet containing five vitamin-B-6-treatment groups (0.6, 3, 6, 18 and 180 mg/kg diet). The daily food intake was 14 g. D uring the following lactation the rats-of each treatment group were di vided into two groups containing 3 and 6 mg vitamin B-6. At the 14th d ay of lactation the dams were decapitated. Parameters for determinatio n of the vitamin-B-6-status were activity of AST and ALT in plasma, er ythrocytes and liver. The average activity of AST in plasma was 549 U/ l, in erythrocytes 1 939 U/l and liver 106 U/g fresh matter (FM). The increasing vitamin-B-6-supplementation during gravidity resulted in an elevated activity of AST between lowest and highest treatment group i n plasma 56 %, erythrocytes 44 %, and in liver 43 %, respectively. In response to the increasing vitamin-B-6-treatment during lactation the activity of AST in plasma increased for 19 %, in erythrocytes for 13 % , and in liver for 24 %, respectively. A low vitamin-B-6-supply (0.6 m g/kg diet) during gravidity in combination with demand-oriented supply during lactation (6 mg/kg diet) initiated the highest increase of act ivity. A deficient vitamin-B-6-supply during lactation (3 mg/kg diet) could be compensated with optimal vitamin-B-6-supply during gravidity. The values of ALT-activity showed no significant differences between the graded vitamin-B-6-supplements, as a result of a high coenzyme sat uration.