Inhibitory Effect of Sulfaguanidine on the Biosynthesis of Thiamine in Rats and the Beneficial Role of Penicillin and Hydrolyzed Glucose Cycloacetoacetate

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 76; no. 3; pp. 265 - 270
• Main Authors: Meghal, S.K., Nath, M.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.03.1962
• Subjects: Acetates - pharmacology; Animals; Glucose - analogs & derivatives; Old Medline; Penicillins - pharmacology; Rats; Sulfaguanidine; Sulfanilamides; Sulfonamides - pharmacology; Thiamine - metabolism; GLUCOSE/related compounds; VITAMIN B 1/metabolism; SULFONAMIDES/pharmacology; ACETATES/pharmacology; PENICILLIN/pharmacology
• ISSN: 0022-3166
• DOI: 10.1093/jn/76.3.265

When rats were fed sulfaguanidine together with a thiamine-low basal diet, urinary and fecal thiamine excretion decreased, and the animals showed symptoms of thiamine deficiency; thus an inhibitory effect of sulfaguanidine on the intestinal synthesis of thiamine was indicated. This inhibitory effect could be overcome by feeding either penicillin or hydrolyzed glucose cycloacetoacetate. Rats thus fed showed an increase in the urinary and fecal excretion of thiamine, with a higher thiamine content in the liver. Inclusion of either penicillin or hydrolyzed glucose cycloacetoacetate promoted better growth with the use of thiamine-low diets. This observation indicates that both compounds enhanced the thiamine synthesis by the intestinal flora and caused an increase in fecal thiamine, which was ultimately available to the rats after coprophagy.