[Effects of sodium nitrite on various vitamin concentrations in rat tissues].

For 6 months 2 groups of 10 male Wistar rats were fed on a chow ration, and to drink they were given either de-ionized water or a solution of sodium nitrite, 0.3 g per litre. At the end of the experiment thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6, niacin, biotin and pantothenic acid were estimated in various tissues (liver, heart, muscle, encephalon, kidneys, spleen, lungs and duodenum); nitrogen, phosphorus, retinol and ascorbic acid were estimated in the liver only. There was no difference between the groups in changes in bodyweight or fluid intake, nor in weight of different organs. But in the animals given sodium nitrite there was an increase in riboflavin, vitamin B6, niacin and pantothenic acid spleen concentrations, and a decrease in liver niacin and encephalon biotin contents.