The amounts of total and esterified riboflavin in the total 24-hour urine and in the blood of tuberculous patients, mild, moderate and severe, were determined and there was no significant difference among the severity of the disease, no riboflavin deficiency symptoms being apparent. However, it seems to reveal the differences of metabolism according to the condition of illness that the levels of riboflavin, especially of esterified forms, become higher, as the symptom advances for the better.
In the loading test, more than 2mg of riboflavin is required for every day loading. The loading was found to be more appropriate to carry out every day with small portion than once with a large amount, since the levels of riboflavin in blood before breakfast in the morning following the loading more elevated after receiving successive injections day by day than receiving an injection of the vitamin once. In case of successive loading with 2mg of riboflavin every day, more amount the vitamin was excreted in the urine by the severe than the mild, whereas in case of loading with the vitamin once, the less riboflavin was excreted in the urine, the milder was the symptom. It is possibly to be considered, that the mild patients have retained more riboflavin in the bodies than the severe prior to loading in case of loading once, and that the loaded riboflavin is utilized more by the mild patients than by the severe after successive loading with 2mg of riboflavin. The loaded riboflavin is thought to be phosphorylated, and activated by coupling with a protein; accordingly, FMN and FAD are considered to be better suited for the loading than riboflavin. It was in fact in agreement with the results of this experiment. In the case of every day loading, the levels of the vitamin in blood are elevated, so that it may not be necessary to consider especially the time of the loading.
That more esterified riboflavin is excreted in urine after loading with the vitamin together with ATP than otherwise is thought to be due to the metabolic condition of phosphorylated compounds. After administering ATP together with riboflavin, the level of the vitamin in erythrocytes was higher than without ATP, suggesting that ATP is participated in the penetration of the vitamin in the cells.
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