Abstract
Weanling rats were fed vitamin B_2 deficient or normal diet. The body weights of vitamin B_2 deficient rats were not increased during 5 weeks. vitamin B_2 contents in blood from the deficient rats were decreased to 30% from normal level, and total flavin contents in the peritoneal leukocytes were also depresiated to approximately 50% A little increase of polymorphonucler leukocytes (PMNs) was observed from haematogram. Electron microscopic studies showed no significant changes in vitamin B_2 deficient PMNs from peritoneal cavity in terms of nuclei, mitochondria and plasma membrane. Although the total flavin contents in PMNs from the deficient rats were significantly decreased, the rates of O_2 production were kept normal level. In other words, there was no correlations between the rates of O_2^- production and the flavin contents in PMNs. These results indicate that, at least, nutritional vitamin B_2 does not affect the rate of O_2^- production which is believed as a flavin enzyme in PMNs.
