The influence of different levels of dietary pyridoxine．HCI (0.6, 1.0 or 7.0 mg/kg diet) on body, brain weights and brain-body weight ratios of developing rats was studied at 12, 15, 21 and 50 days of ages. Body weights of deficient groups (0.6 and 1.0 mg) were significantly less than that of the control group (0.7 mg ) throughout the whole experiment. Total brain weight were similar among the three groups at each age examined except at 21 and 50 days when the 0.6 group was significantly less than the 7.0 group. Mean brain- body weight ratios were significantly greater for the 0.6 and 1.0 groups compared with the 7.0 group at all ages. In conclusion, growth of the body is affected more and earlier than brain by vitamin B-6 deficiency. 美國營養協會(AIN)建議白鼠維生素乙6攝取量為7.0毫克/公斤飼料。本實驗係以0.6與1.0毫克維生素乙6/公斤飼料做為實驗組餵予母老鼠來研究維生素乙6缺乏對小白鼠體重、腦重及腦-體重比例的影響。
實驗過程中，在小白鼠10天大以後，可觀察到有些實驗組的小白鼠有痉攣、尖叫及動作不協調等維生素乙6缺陷症的典型症狀。這些小白鼠縱使其母親維生素乙6攝取量高於建議量，它們從10天大起到斷奶（第21天）間，漸漸體重減輕以致於死亡。由此實驗得知，若要避免小白鼠死亡，母鼠哺乳期維生素乙6每天攝取量應大於32μg。
實驗結果則發現實驗組小白鼠的體重在整個實驗中均顯著的比對照組的（7.0毫克維生素乙6/公斤飼料）低。而維生素乙6缺乏對腦重的影響在幼年期並不顯著，一直到斷奶後才呈現出維生素乙6嚴重缺乏（0.6毫克/公斤飼料）使腦重顯著的比對照組低。實驗組的腦-體重之比例均顯著的比對照組大。綜合這些結果可得一結論：維生素乙6缺乏對身體發育的影響比對腦部的影響還大且早發生。
