Oxalate levels in the plasma and urine fractions of fasted normal, oxythiamin treated (20 mg/kg) and
4-deoxypyridoxine treated (300 mg/kg) rabbits were determined following infusion with either
xylitol or
glucose at a dose of 2 g/kg
body weight. Biochemical determinations showed that transient
thiamin or
pyridoxine deficient states had been induced in the antivitamin treated rabbits. In the first 24 hour following infusion with either
carbohydrate, urinary
oxalate levels remained within the normal range for all groups. Oxythiamin hastened the appearance of the transient, elevation in plasma
oxalate concentrations seen in rabbits after infusion with
glucose. After
xylitol infusion, the elevation of plasma
oxalate was not significnatly above normal.
4-Deoxypyridoxine enhanced peak plasma
oxalate levels above those of controls for both
sugars.
Glucose, at an equivalent dose to
xylitol, resulted in higher plasma
oxalate levels than
xylitol for all groups. Infusions of [U-14C]
xylitol and [U-14C]
glucose solutions into
4-deoxypyridoxine treated rabbits demonstrated a conversion of the administered radioactive
carbon into 14C
oxalate of 0.01% with a high dilution of the specific activity. The results suggest that
oxalate production from
xylitol is negligible; any toxicity related to
xylitol administration is not a consequence of
oxalate production.