656 X. VITAMINS D 



of vitamin D, although 17% more was excreted in the feces during the 

 following two days. This totals a 23% recovery. ^^^ The body vitamin D 

 was present mainly in the liver (3.7%) and intestinal tissue (0.6%), 

 while the remainder of the body contained 1.7%.-^^ In a more recent 

 report, Cruickshank et al.^^'' noted the distri})ution of vitamin D2 in 

 the following amounts (% of dose) forty -eight hours after it had been ad- 

 ministered: muscle, 0.9; skin, 0.6; kidneys, 0.5; lungs, 0.1; spleen, 0.05, 

 brain, 0.03; and adrenals, 0.01. In the most recent study of this group 

 reported by Kodicek,-"^ in which the recovery of C"-ergocalciferol was 

 tested when given in a 1 mg. dose orally to rachitic rats, a complete reco^'ery 



Table 5 



The Recovery of C'^-Ergocalciferol When Given Orally 



IX A 1 MG. Dose to Rachitic Rats" 



" Data adapted from E. Kodicek, Ciba Lecture. Unpublished data made available to 

 author. 



* Based upon biologic rat assay. 



<= Figures in parenthesis represent results in which no chemical identification was made 

 but which are considered to be vitamin D. 



was observed, based upon the C'^ assay; 30.3% was accounted for as 

 vitamin D, while 70.9% was present in the form of breakdown products. 

 These data are summarized in Table 5. 



2»6 E. M. Cruickshank, E. Kodicek, and P. Armitage, Biochem. J., 5^, 337-347 (1953). 

 "' E. M. Cruickshank, E. Kodicek, and P. Armitage, Biochem. J., 58, 172-175 (1954). 



