The In Vivo Uptake of Vitamin B₁₂ by Intestinal Bacteria in Rats with Jejunal Blind Loops

Abstract

⁵⁷CoB₁₂ was given orally to control rats and to rats with surgically created jejunal blind loops; and the radioactivity in washed small intestinal sediments was determined at timed intervals after the dose. The radioactivity in the sediments as a percentage of recovered radioactivity from small intestinal contents, and the amount of ⁵⁷CoB₁₂ per mg dried sediment were markedly increased in untreated blind-loop rats compared with control rats and with blind-loop rats treated orally with tetracyclin and lincomycin. In blind-loop rats there was a delay in gastric emptying and also a stagnation of radioactivity in the blind loop.

Key-words:

• Intestinal microorganisms
• intrinsic factor
• vitamin B₁₂