Hostname: page-component-5c6d5d7d68-thh2z Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-08-07T17:53:01.173Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The metabolism of some folates in the rat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2008

J. R. G. Beavon
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, The University of Aston in Birmingham, Gosta Green, Birmingham B4 7ET
J. A. Blair
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, The University of Aston in Birmingham, Gosta Green, Birmingham B4 7ET
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

1. A number of folates labelled with 14C were administered orally to rats, at various doses, and urinary, faecal and hepatic folates examined.

2. 10-Formylpteroylmonoglutamic acid (10CHO—PGA) entered the folate pool very slowly, and is thought to be relatively ineffective in nutrition.

3. 10-Formyl[2-14C]tetrahydrofolic acid (10CHO—[2-14C]THF) entered the folate pool very rapidly. 5-Methyl[2-14C]tetrahydrofolate (5CH3—[2-14C]THF) was the major urinary folate.

4. 5-Formyl[2-14C]tetrahydrofolic acid (5CHO—[2-14C]THF) entered the folate pool only to a small extent. 5CHO—[2-14C]THF, given intravenously, produced no urinary 5CH3—[2-14C]THF in the first 6 h.

5. 10-Methylidyne[2-14C]tetrahydrofolic acid was metabolized to an extent which was dependant on the dose. At doses of 3 and 30 μg/kg body-weight, 5CH3—[2-14C]THF represented 5·4 and 20% respectively of urinary folates and for 10CHO—[2-14]PGA, the values were 16% of total urinary folates after the higher dose, and 78·5% after the lower dose.

6. Results obtained for the metabolism of 5CH3—THF varied depending on the position of the labelling: 514CH3–THF gave no labelled urinary folate, the methyl group being lost rapidly. When 5CH3—[2-14C]THF was given, it appeared as the major urinary folate.

7. Folates found in the liver after oral administration of labelled folates were identified by thin-layer chromatography; only folate monoglutamates were identified.

Type
General Nutrition
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1975

References

Beavon, J. R. G. & Blair, J. A. (1971). Analyt. Biochem. 44, 335.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beavon, J. R. G. & Blair, J. A. (1972). Br. J. Nutr. 28, 385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blair, J. A. & Dransfield, E. (1971). Biochem. J. 123, 907.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blair, J. A. & Saunders, K. J. (1970). Analyt. Biochem. 34, 376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blakley, R. L. (1969). Frontiers of Biology Vol. 13. The Biochemistry of Folic Acid and Related Pteridines. Amsterdam and London: North-Holland.Google Scholar
Dransfield, E. (1972). The metabolism of folic acid in the rat. PhD Thesis, The University of Aston in Birmingham.Google Scholar
Futterman, S. (1963). Meth. Enzym. 6, 18.Google Scholar
Kalberer, F. & Rutschmann, J. (1961). Helv. chim. Acta 44, 1956.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maggi, P., Brue, F., Brousolle, B., Bensimon, E. & Pérès, G. (1970). C. r. Séanc. Soc. Biol. 164, 2285.Google Scholar
Nixon, P. F. & Bertino, J. R. (1971). Analyt. Biochem. 43, 162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roth, B., Hultquist, M. E., Fahrenbach, M. J., Cosulich, D. B., Broquist, H. P., Brockman, J. A. Jr, Smith, J. M. Jr, Parker, R. P., Stokstad, E. L. R. & Jukes, T. H. (1952). J. Am. chem. Soc. 74, 3247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rowe, P. B. (1971). Meth. Enzym. 18B, 733.CrossRefGoogle Scholar