Abstract

The percutaneous absorption of vitamin B12 by the rat and guinea pig was investigated. Growth experiments in weanling rats indicated that the vitamin was efficiently absorbed in an active form. Studies with 57Co-labeled cyanocobalamin demonstrated that absorption was more efficient from an ethanol solution than from water or dimethyl sulfoxide and was independent of the quantity of vitamin applied to a given area. The skin was found to act as a reservoir absorbing large amounts of cyanocobalamin and releasing it slowly to other tissues. Absorption was similar in the 2 species studied.

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