The present experiment aimed to determine the effect of feeding level and parenteral supplements of vitamin B 6 (pyridoxine) on B 6 status as well as on glucose, C-peptide, insulin, a-amino-N and urea after a gastric bolus of glucose in weaned piglets; the plasma tryptophan, xanthurenic acid and kynurenine responses to a gastric bolus of tryptophan were also measured. Forty-two piglets weaned at 2 weeks of age were distributed in seven blocks of six animals each. Within each block, the animals were assigned to the following factorial treatments: two levels of feeding (28 (F28) and 56 (F56) g/kg 0´75 per d) administered by gastric-tube feeding and three levels of parenteral (intramuscular injections) vitamin B 6 (0 (B 6 0), 15 (B 6 15) and 30 (B 6 30) mg/ d). In B 6 0 piglets, a decrease of 30 % and 20 % in erythrocyte and plasma pyridoxal-5-phosphate respectively, were observed during the 2 weeks post-weaning. In supplemented piglets, the erythrocyte pyridoxal-5-phosphate was maximised in B 6 15 piglets at a level 3±4 times higher than in B 6 0 piglets P , 0´003X However, in plasma the maximal pyridoxal-5-phosphate concentration was reached in F28±B 6 30 piglets P , 0´058X The glucose and insulin responses to a gastric bolus of glucose were lower, and the post-bolus decrease of glucose was slower, in F28 than in F56 piglets P , 0´0001X The insulin:C-peptide ratio was 25 % greater in B 6 15 piglets P , 0´082X After the bolus of glucose, the aminoacidaemia decreased differentially according to treatments P , 0´047 while the uraemia was at least 2-fold higher P , 0´001 in F28 piglets than in F56 piglets and tended to be maximised in B 6 30 piglets P , 0´074X The response of plasma tryptophan to the gastric bolus of tryptophan was 11 % lower in B 6 30 piglets P , 0´057X The plasma concentration of kynurenine increased continuously during the post-bolus period and this response was more marked in F56 P , 0´002 and in B 6 30 piglets P , 0´02X Xanthurenic acid was undetectable in any of the treatments. The measurements on pyridoxine status suggest that the present basal dietary level of B 6 (7´7 mg/kg) was not sufficient to cover the metabolic needs. For many criteria, an optimal level was reached at 15 mg/d parenteral B 6 but the response of urea to glucose bolus suggests that 30 mg/d was detrimental. Further studies are necessary to determine the dietary level of B 6 equivalent to the present optimal parenteral supplements and its eventual effects on B 6 status and post-weaning growth performance of piglets.