Abstract
It was reported that the injection of pyridoxal phosphate exerted protective and curative effects on the experimental liver damage of albino rats with carbon tetrachloride. The effects of pyridoxal phosphate were therefore studied clinically in various liver diseases including 3 cases of acute hepatitis, 5 cases of chronic hepatitis, etc. and 6 cases of liver cirrhosis. Ten mg pyridoxal phosphate daily was injected intravenously for 10 day. The clinical symptoms and results of liver function tests before the treatment were compared with those after the treatment. Subjective symptoms ameliorated or disappeared and many liver function tests (especially bromsulfalein test, serum bilirubin level, urine urobilinogen) improved in 21 cases. Suspension of the pyridoxal phosphate injection was followed by deterioration of symptoms in many cases. Pyridoxine was injected to some patienets with liver disease, but little alleviative effect could be seen. The mechanism of the effect of pyridoxal phosphate in liver diseases is not yet clarified. But it is supposed that pyridoxal phosphate restores the metabolism of the liver, disturbed by decreased phosphorylation activity of vitamin B_6 in the injured liver.
