What is the Significance of Pyruvate Dehydrogenase in Beriberi?
Loss of energy is in part caused by a lack of thiamine which helps in energy production. Its role is to act on glucose molecules to metabolize them i as an energy substrate. Since Asians had been known as largely vegetarians in the past there diets were low in thiamine and thus the cause of a loss of energy on the onset of Beriberi. Pyruvate Dehydrogenase is an enzyme that helps catalyze the energy pathway and without it the energy chain production mechanism is stopped short of its goal, energy production. Pyruvate Dehydrogenase is an essential co-factor in the energy pathway. With a diet that is deficient in thiamine a correlating reduction in energy is found.
