Studies on the metabolism of pyruvic acid in normal and vitamin B1-deficient states

THE physiology and biochemistry of vitamin B1 bave been recently reviewed [Peters, 1938; Cowgill, 1938].While the role of vitamin B1 in the mammalian organism remains undefined there is now much evidence in support of the view that the primary biochemical lesion in Bl-deficiency is the inability of the cell to metabolize pyruvic acid [Peters, 1936].The accumulation of pyruvic acid in the blood in vitamin B1-deficiency was first shown by Thompson & Johnson [1935] in England, using rats and pigeons, and byPlatt&Lu [1935] inChina on human beri-beri cases.The above-mentioned authors were able to relate the increase of bisulphite-binding substances (B.B.S.),