A biochemical study of vitamin B12 deficiency in the baboon.

A dietary deficiency of vitamin B12 was produced in the baboon by use of an artificial diet. Deficiency was further aggravated by feeding propionate or ampicillin, as judged by serum, liver and brain vitamin B12 levels, and urinary excretion of methyl malonic acid. Reduced glutathione levels in the blood and liver increased during deficiency, while ascorbic acid levels were not affected, Brain and liver nucleic acids did not change significantly. Blood pyruvate and serum lipid factors were affected more in the group fed propionate. These results are compared with the work on vitamin B12 deficient rats and pernicious anaemia in humans.