Pantothenate deficiencies, effects

Smith, C. M., Narrow, C. M., Kendrick, Z. V, and Steffan, C. (1987). The effect of pantothenate deficiency in mice on their metabolic response to fast and exercise. Alc/fflwfKrn 36, 115-121. 

In pantothenate-deficient intact rats subjected to forced swimming or injected with ACTH, the typical lymphocytic response was abolished (Dumm et al., 1949). If the deficient animals received a high pantothenic acid diet for 4 days, a more nearly normal response followed either swimming or the injection of ACTH. These findings were attributed to the effects of pantothenic acid deficiency on the structure and function of the adrenal cortex. Winters el al. (1952a) observed that the lymphopenic and eosinopenic responses to ACTH and epinephrine were abolished following a 5- to 6-week period of pantothenate deficiency. However, fol-... 

Other fractions of the vitamin B complex have also been tested for their effect on the survival of young adrenalectomized rats, and it was found that biotin was as effective as pantothenate (Ralli and Dumm, 1952). This is interesting in view of the previous discussion of the interrelation of biotin and pantothenic acid (see Section V.b). In this same series of experiments it was observed that large doses of pyridoxine were toxic to adrenalectomized rats when given after a period of pantothenate deficiency. Thiamine and riboflavin had no influence on survival, but folic acid and vitamin Bu resulted in a moderate improvement. These observations emphasize the interaction of vitamins under various nutritional situations in relation to hormone action. 

Pantothenic acid will affect both the structure and the function of the adrenal cortex. Changes in adrenocortical function are suggested by the decrease in adrenal cholesterol concentration in pantothenate deficiency. Additiomd evidence of impaired adrenocortical function in pantothenate deficiency is provided by the abnormal response of animals to various types of stress stimuli. The effects of pantothenate deficiency on the... 

The most reasonable interpretation of the extremely diverse effects resulting from pantothenic acid deficiency in various animals (and humans) is based upon the supposition that each tissue in the body is capable of being nourished at various levels of efficiency, and that pantothenic deficiency which can potentially cause damage in every tissue, strikes sometimes here and sometimes there, depending upon many factors which reside in the species or in the afflicted individual animal. Despite the absence of any well-defined human deficiency syndrome there can be no intelligent question regarding the importance of pantothenic acid in human nutrition. 

There are some well-described deficiency syndromes, the well-established therapeutic use of vitamin K antagonists as oral anticoagulants and the well-known positive effects of pantothenic acid on skin hydration/moisturization and wound healing, which apparently lacks scientific solid base. Apart from that there are not many studies available on the treatment of dermatological disorders with these vitamins, either systemically or topically. Even less is known about transdermal penetration, stability, and formulation dependencies of possible topical applications. 

The uptake and accumulation of various amino acids in Lactobacillus arabinosus have been described. Deficiencies of vitamin B6, biotin, and pantothenic acid markedly alter the operation of these transport systems. Accumulation capacity is decreased most severely by a vitamin B6 deficiency. This effect appears to arise indirectly from the synthesis of abnormal cell wall which renders the transport systems unusually sensitive to osmotic factors. Kinetic and osmotic experiments also exclude biotin and pantothenate from direct catalytic involvement in the transport process. Like vitamin B6, they affect uptake indirectly, probably through the metabolism of a structural cell component. The evidence presented supports a concept of pool formation in which free amino acids accumulate in the cell through the intervention of membrane-localized transport catalysts. 

Pantothenic acid deficiency in black and brown rats leads to a loss of fur color - at one time, pantothenic acid was known as the antigray hair factor. There is no evidence that the normal graying of hair with age is related to pantothenic acid nutrition, nor that pantothenic acid supplements have any effect on hair color. 

Tokuyama, T, Kuraishi, H., Aida, K., Uemura, T. (1973) Hydrogen sulfide evolution due to a pantothenic acid deficiency in the yeast requiring this vitamin, with special reference to the effect of adenosine triphosphate on yeast cysteine desulfhyrase. Journal of General and Applied Microbiology, 19, 439 66. 

Faber et al. (FI) studied the effects of induced pyridoxine and pantothenic acid deficiency, obtained by use of a semisynthetic formula and deoxypyridoxine and co-methyl pantothenic acid supplements for six weeks, by determining in 5 men nitrogen retention and the urinary excretions of xanthurenic and oxalic acids during deficiency and recovery. They postulated that tissue catabolism releases suflBcient pyri-doxine to partially metabolize a tryptophan load, after which the amounts of urinary oxalic acid were sharply increased for 1-2 days. 

Adverse effects, sometimes fatal, have been reported in patients taking calcium hopantenate, notably encephalopathy with metabolic acidosis and semicoma (1) and a Reye-like syndrome (2) this may be due to pantothenic acid deficiency, as hopantenate is a pantothenic acid antagonist. In elderly people, liver dysfunction and gastrointestinal upsets have been reported (3,4). In Japan, where the product was introduced in 1978, the control authorities in 1988 issued a series of warnings with respect to problems caused by hopantenate (5). 

Other B vitamins effected are Niacin (nicotinic acid), pantothenic acid, B 2 (cobalamin) and B2 (Riboflavin). Niacin in massive doses is used in the treatment of schizophrenia. A deficiency of this vitamin (also known as B can result in many of the same neurological problems asB0. Pantothenic acid in conjunction with other vitamins aids in many enzymic duties. Deficiencies in Bio lead to easy fatigue, and a thousand other related problems. The last, riboflavin, is affected quite differently. Ethanol seems to cause the body to hoard tfiis vitamin the exchange hardly seems fair, though. 

A sparing effect of large amounts of ascorbic add fed to pantothenic acid-defident rats has been known since the work of Daft (D2, D3), although no such effect occurs in guinea pigs (R7). It is believed that alteration of the bacterial flora of the intestine lessens the pantothenic acid deficiency under these conditions because it has been demonstrated that the antibiotic hygromycin acted in the same way as ascorbic acid, while sulfathiazole nullified the beneficial effect of ascorbic acid (B12). Pyrocatechol intensifies the beneficial action of ascorbic acid (L5). 

B12. Barboriak, J. J., and Krehl, W., Effect of ascorbic acid in pantothenic acid deficiency, J. Nutrition 63, 601-609 (1957). 

D2. Daft, F. S., Effects of vitamin C on pantothenic acid-deficient rats. Federation Froc. 10, 380 (1951). 

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