Abstract
The influence of nicotinic acid (NiA) deficiency was investigated upon gastric acidity, peptic activity, intrinsic factor (IF) activity and vitamin B_<12> binding capacity of gastric juice and gastric mucosa of rats on NiA deficient diet. After forty days on the deficient diet, the amount of gastric acid in the gastric juice was higher than that of the control rats. Matching to this phenomenon, both pH values of the gastric juice and pH values on the gastric wall were lower. IF activity and vitamin B_<12> binding capacity of the gastric mucosa were lower and, on the contrary, both the activity and capacity were higher in the gastric juice, in the NiA deficient rats than those in the control rats. Histologic findings showed damage, atrophy, pycnosis and necrosis in parietal cells and chief cells in the NiA deficient rats. These facts suggest that the membrane of the secreting cells of the stomach was so fragile owing to NiA deficiency to have had damaged or broken during the collection of gastric juice and the contents of these cells leaked into the gastric juice. (Received Nov. 9,1970)
