Abstract
The processes of uptake of TPD (thiamine propyl disulfide) and formation of thiamine were investigated in detail, using the suspension of rat erythrocytes, since erythrocytes were most effective to form thiamine from TPD in blood. 1) The ratio of amount of thiamine formed in erythrocytes to that in the suspension medium was 1 : 1 after incubation of TPD in erythrocytes suspension. This ratio did not change remarkably, even when amount of erythrocytes was increased by 100 fold. 2) It was verified that TPD was converted to thiamine in the membrane under the influence of reducing compounds in erythrocytes and thiamine, which was formed there, went out and into erythrocytes with equal probability. 3) Process of formation of thiamine from TPD by erythrocytes was expressed by second order rate reaction kinetics, and its rate constant was determined.
