Abstract
The well-known requirements of thiamine and lipoic acid for the oxidative decarboxylation of α-keto acids suggested the possibility that the metabolism of lipoic acid might be affected during thiamine deficiency. Hence, I have performed experimental studies on the biosynthesis of protein-bound lipoic acid in thiamine deficient rats. The biosynthetic activity of protein-bound lipoic acid in liver homogenate were reduced in a deficient state. In a recovery state, following the oral administration of thiamine, the level of thiamine in liver homogenate was recovered rapidly, but the biosynthetic activity of bound lipoic acid was recovered more slowly. The biosynthetic activity was not improved when thiamine or its pyrophosphate was added in vitro to liver mitochondria of thiamine deficient rat.
