[The role of niacin in regulating the pentosophosphate pathway and production of NADP-H in fatty tissue].

A study was made of the effect of alimentary deficiency of niacin and of exogenous nicotinamide (500 mg/kg) on the activity of the key enzymes of the pentose phosphate pathway and NADP-dependent malate and isocitric dehydrogenase in the epididymal fatty tissue of rats. It is established that vitamin depletion in the animals' body brings about a 3-fold decrease in the content of NADP+ and a 1.7-fold decrease in the content of NADPH, a 43-percent inhibition of the activity of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and a 39-percent reduction with respect to transketolase. Nicotinamide suppresses the activity of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase by 35% and that of isocitric dehydrogenase by 40% 12 hours after intraperitoneal injection. It is suggested that NADPH production in the fatty tissue of rats undergoes appreciable changes under the effect of niacin.