[Effect of protein content in rat diet on water-soluble vitamin metabolism in streptozotocin-induced diabetes].

Water-soluble group B vitamins metabolism was studied over the course of streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus in rats fed semisynthetic isocaloric diets containing 18 and 50% of protein. A high-protein diet in diabetes mellitus does not influence riboflavin metabolism disordered in this disease but reduced 4-pyridoxyl acid excretion to the level characteristic of healthy animals. The observed trend to an increase of liver nicotinamide coenzymes levels and of 1-methylnicotinamide urinary excretion reflects increased niacin synthesis from the diet protein tryptophan, for niacin level is reduced in diabetes.