A combined supplementation of vitamin B12 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids across two generations improves nerve growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor levels in the rat hippocampus

Combination Therapy for Sustainable Fish Oil Products: Improving Cognitive Function with n-3 PUFA and Natural Ingredients

Long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are recommended as beneficial dietary supplements for enhancing cognitive function. Although fish oil (FO) is renowned for its abundant n-3 PUFA content, combining FO with other natural products is considered as a viable option to support the sustainable development of FO products. This review aims to provide comprehensive insights into the advanced effects of combining FO or its components of DHA and EPA with natural products on protecting cognitive function. In two double-blind random control trials, no advanced effects were observed for adding curcumin to FO on cerebral function protection. However, 16 week's treatment of FO combined with vitamin E did not yield any advanced effects in cognitive factor scores. Several preclinical studies have demonstrated that combinations of FO with natural products can exhibit advanced effects in addressing pathological components in cognitive impairment, including neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neuronal survival. In conclusion, evidence from clinical trials for beneficial use of FO and natural ingredients combination is lacking. Greater cohesion is needed between preclinical and clinical data to substantiate the efficacy of FO and natural product combinations in preventing or slowing the progression of cognitive decline.

Vitamin B12-folic acid supplementation improves memory by altering mitochondrial dynamics, dendritic arborization, and neurodegeneration in old and amnesic male mice

Memory impairment during aging and amnesia is attributed to compromised mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy and other mitochondrial quality control mechanisms. Mitochondrial dynamics involves the continuous process of fission and fusion of mitochondria within a cell and is a fundamental mechanism for regulating mitochondrial quality and function. An extensive range of potential nutritional supplements has been shown to improve mitochondrial health, synaptic plasticity, and cognitive functions. Previous findings revealed that supplementation of vitamin B12-folic acid reduces locomotor deficits and mitochondrial abnormalities but enhances mitochondrial and neuronal health. The present study aims to explore the impact of combined vitamin B12-folic acid supplementation on mitochondrial dynamics, neuronal health, and memory decline in old age and scopolamine-induced amnesia, which remains elusive. The results demonstrated that supplementation led to a noteworthy increase in recognition and spatial memory and expression of memory-related protein BDNF in old and amnesic mice. Moreover, the decrease in the fragmented mitochondrial number was validated by the downregulation of mitochondrial fission p-Drp1 (S616) protein and the increase in elongated mitochondria by the upregulation of mitochondrial fusion Mfn2 protein. The increased spine density and dendritic arborization in old and amnesic mice upon supplementation were confirmed by the enhanced expression level of PSD95 and synaptophysin. Furthermore, supplementation reduced ROS production, inhibited Caspase-3 activation, mitigated neurodegeneration, and enhanced mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP production, Vdac1 expression, myelination, in old and amnesic mice. Collectively, our findings imply that combined supplementation of vitamin B12-folic acid improves mitochondrial dynamics and neuronal health, and leads to recovery of memory during old age and amnesia.

Investigation of the efficacy of two different laser types in the treatment of lower lip paresthesia after sagittal split ramus osteotomy

Orthognathic surgery involves invasive and major surgical procedures commonly used to correct maxillofacial deformities. Bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy (BSSO) is often used to treat dentofacial anomalies related to the mandible, but it can result in various complications, the most common of which is inferior alveolar nerve damage. Nerve damage-induced paresthesia of the lower lip significantly affects patient comfort. Medical treatments such as steroids and vitamin B, low-level laser therapy (LLLT), and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) can be used as supportive therapies for nerve regeneration after damage. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of two different types of lasers in treating lower lip paresthesia after BSSO. This clinical trial was a controlled, single-center, prospective, single-blind, randomized study. Thirty patients were included in the study and randomly assigned to three groups: Group I (laser GRR, n = 10) received transcutaneous and transmucosal GRR laser treatment, Group II (Epic10 laser, n = 10) received transmucosal and transcutaneous Epic10 laser treatment, and Group III (vitamin B, n = 10) received B-complex vitamin tablets orally once a day. Two-point and brush tests were performed six times at specific intervals, and a visual analog scale was used to evaluate pain and sensitivity. Both vitamin B and laser therapies accelerated nerve regeneration. The contribution of the laser groups to the healing rate was better than that of the vitamin B group. Although there was no statistically significant difference between the two laser groups, clinical observations indicated better results in the GRR laser group.

Effects of vitamin B12 deficiency on risk and outcome of ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke is the most prevalent form of stroke and has a high incidence in older adults, characterized by high morbidity, mortality, disability, and recurrence rate. Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency is prevalent in the elderly and has been reported to be associated with ischemic stroke. The mechanisms maybe include the disorder of methylation metabolism, accumulation of toxic metabolites, immune dysfunction, affecting gut microbial composition and gut-brain immune homeostasis, and toxic stress responses to the brain. Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency may lead to cerebral artery atherosclerosis, change myelination, influence the metabolism and transmission between nerve tissue, and ultimately causes the occurrence and development of ischemic stroke. This paper reviews the correlation between vitamin B₁₂ deficiency and ischemic stroke, looking forward to improving clinicians' understanding and providing new therapeutic directions for ischemic stroke.

Vitamin B12 administration prevents ethanol-induced learning and memory impairment through re-establishment of the brain oxidant/antioxidant balance, enhancement of BDNF and suppression of GFAP

There are growing evidence indicating that the adolescent brain is persistently affected by the use of psychostimulant agents. In this regard, alcohol drinking has become rather common among the adolescents in many societies during the last decade. It is currently well known that long-term ethanol exposure deteriorates various cognitive functions such as learning and memory. Mechanistically, these adverse effects have been shown to be mediated by oxidative damage to central nervous system. On the other hand, Vit-B12 is known to improve cognitive performance by suppression of oxidative parameters. Thus, in the present study we aimed to test whether treatment by Vit-B12 could prevent ethanol-induced complications in mice using behavioral and biochemical methods. Different groups of male Syrian mice received ethanol, ethanol+Vit-B12, Vit-B12 alone, or saline during adolescence and then learning and memory functions were assessed by Morris water maze (MWM) and Passive Avoidance (PA) tests. Finally, mice were sacrificed for measurement of biochemical factors. Results indicated that, adolescent ethanol intake impairs learning and memory function through exacerbation of oxidative stress and Vit-B12 treatment improves these complications by re-establishment of oxidant/anti-oxidant balance in CNS. Moreover, we found that Vit-B12 prevents ethanol-induced reduction of BDNF and enhancement of GFAP and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. In conclusion, it seems that Vit-B12 supplementation could be used as an effective therapeutic strategy to prevent learning and memory defects induced by chronic alcohol intake during adolescence.

Role of neurotrophins in pregnancy and offspring brain development

Neurotrophins are a family of functionally and structurally related proteins which play a key role in the survival, development, and function of neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), and neurotrophin-4 (NT-4) are the family members of neurotrophins. Neurotrophins play a crucial role in influencing the development of the brain and learning and memory processes. Studies demonstrate that they also play crucial role in influencing reproductive and immune systems. Neurotrophins have been shown to influence various processes in the mother, placenta, and fetus during pregnancy. Development and maturation of feto-placental unit and the fetal growth trajectories are influenced by neurotrophins. In addition to neurotrophins, neuropeptides like neuropeptide Y also play a crucial role during various processes of pregnancy and during fetal brain development. Neurotrophins have also been shown to have a cross talk with various angiogenic factors and influence placental development. Alterations in the levels of neurotrophins and neuropeptides lead to placental pathologies resulting in various pregnancy complications like preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction and preterm births. Studies in animals have reported low levels of maternal micronutrients like folic acid, vitamin B₁₂ and omega-3 fatty acids influence brain neurotrophins resulting in impaired cognitive functioning in the offspring. Maternal nutrition is also known to affect the expression of neuropeptides. It is essential to understand the role of various neurotrophins across various stages of pregnancy and its relationship with neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. This will lead to early prediction of poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. The present review describes evidence describing the role of neurotrophins in determining pregnancy outcome and altered neurodevelopment in the offspring. The possible mechanism through which maternal nutrition influences neurotrophins and neuropeptides to regulate offspring brain development and function is also discussed.

Vitamin B12 Enhances Nerve Repair and Improves Functional Recovery After Traumatic Brain Injury by Inhibiting ER Stress-Induced Neuron Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most common causes of neurological damage in young human populations. Vitamin B₁₂ has been reported to promote axon growth of neuronal cells after peripheral nerve injury, which is currently used for the treatment of peripheral nerve damage in the clinical trial. Thus, we hypothesized that TBI can be attenuated by vitaminB₁₂ treatment through its beneficial role on axon regeneration after nerve injury. To confirm it, the biological function of vitaminB₁₂ was characterized using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Luxol fast blue (LFB) staining, western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry staining. The results showed that the neurological functional recovery was improved in the VitaminB₁₂-treated group after TBI, which may be due to downregulation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress-related apoptosis signaling pathway. Moreover, the microtubule stabilization, remyelination and myelin reparation were rescued by vitamin B₁₂, which was consistent with the treatment of 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA), an endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitor. The study suggests that vitamin B₁₂ may be useful as a novel neuroprotective drug for TBI.