Pantothenic acid stress responses

However, if the deficient animals received adrenocortical extract before the stress, the carbohydrate response was within normal limits. The injection of pantothenic acid immediately before the test also improved the response but did not restore it to normal. 

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... 

Vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes— Studies have shown that during moderate to severe stresses, more zinc, copper, magnesium, and calcium are lost in the urine. Furthermore, stress results in altered blood levels of vitamins A and C, and of zinc and iron. Also, part of the response to stress includes water and sodium retention, via veisopressin and aldosterone secretion. As for the water-soluble vitamins—thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine (B-6), pantothenic acid, folic acid, and vitamin C stress increases their requirement. However, no dietary recommendations are made for these nutrients for individuals under stressful situations. Still, it seems wise to supply some supplementation before deficiency symptoms appear. 

In similar stress experiments following therapy with orally administered vitamin B12, no significant differences were observed in the determinations before and after therapy. Consequently, adaptation to the stress was not the cause of the changes which occurred following pantothenate therapy. The decrease in the eosinopenia and in uric acid/ creatinine ratio after pantothenate treatment suggests that the same environmental stress constituted a less severe stimulus to the adrenal cortex under these conditions. It may be that the increased level of pantothenate in the tissue cells contributed to their capacity to carry out the oxidative reactions which are part of the total physiological response to cold stress. It is possible that under these conditions the demand for adrenocortical hormones might be somewhat reduced. 

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