Pantethine and pantothenate effect on the CoA content of rat liver.

The role of pantethine as a precursor of CoA in rat liver has been examined. It has been demonstrated that pantethine induces a significant increase in the total CoA content both in perfused liver and in liver homogenate, while it fails to affect the mitochondrial CoA content when added to isolated mitochondria. Pantethine is more efficient than pantothenate in inducing the synthesis of CoA in rat liver, even in the presence of added cysteine. The possible metabolic implications are discussed.