Relationship Between Growth and Muscle Creatine Levels in Young Rats Fed Supplementary Folacin, B₁₂ and Methylating Agents With and Without Glycocyamine

¹ From the Department of Biology, Fordham University, New York City

A simple and reliable method of extracting creatine from muscle for analysis as creatinine is described. In the absence of exogenous glycocyamine, growth was accelerated but muscle creatine levels were reduced in rats fed folacin and B₁₂, either alone, or with methionine; growth was also accelerated in rats given folacin and B₁₂ with choline, however, muscle creatine levels in these animals were increased rather than reduced. In the presence of exogenous glycocyamine, growth was depressed but muscle creatine was enhanced or maintained at a high level, respectively, in rats fed folacin and B₁₂, or folacin and B₁₂ with choline; muscle creatine levels were increased without significant growth depression in rats given glycocyamine with folacin, B₁₂ and methionine.