Methycobalamin

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease. Neurologists generally see patients as requested and as schedules allow. This practice is part of the reason it takes approximately 12 months from onset of new progressive weakness to receive a definitive diagnosis of ALS. It is well recognized that the disease of ALS starts long before symptom onset. In mutant SOD1 transgenic mice, early loss of motor neurons and compensatory morphological changes precede a rapid loss of motor neurons that coincides with symptom onset...

BACKGROUND: Methyl-base-attached cobalamin (Methycobalamin) (MC) has a special affinity for nerve tissues to promote myelination and transport of axonal cytoskeleton. It is not known, however, how MC influences on peripheral nerve in experimental diabetic neuropathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied the effects of MC on expressions and activities of protein kinase C (PKC) in peripheral nerve of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Wistar rats, 8 weeks of age, were rendered diabetic by streptozotocin (40 mg kg(-1), iv) and followed for 16 weeks...

OBJECT: To study the effects of the intravenous administration of methylcobalamin, an analogue of vitamin B12, for uremic or uremic-diabetic polyneuropathy in patients who are receiving maintenance hemodialysis. An ultra-high dose of vitamin B12 has been reported to promote peripheral nerve regeneration in experimental neuropathy. METHODS: Nine patients received a 500 microg methylcobalamin injection 3 times a week for 6 months. The effects were evaluated using neuropathic pain grading and a nerve conduction study...

It was well confirmed that B12 binding protein in human serum and body fluids largely consists of two kinds of binding proteins, physiologically B12 transporting transcobalamin and haptocorrins which does not involve in B12 transport. In seminal plasma, very potent B12 binding protein, in quantity as much as 23 times of normal serum, was identified. Separation characteristics, gel filtration, CM cellulose column chromatography and column IEF all agreed as one of the haptocorrins. One peculiar feature of seminal plasma binder is marked heterogeneity of much lower pI regions suggesting the presence of increased amount of sialic residues on the molecule...