Methylcobalamin induces a long-lasting enhancement of the field potential in rat suprachiasmatic nucleus slices

Inhibition of Hyperpolarization-Activated Cation Current in Medium-Sized DRG Neurons Contributed to the Antiallodynic Effect of Methylcobalamin in the Rat of a Chronic Compression of the DRG

Recently several lines of evidence demonstrated that methylcobalamin (MeCbl) might have potential analgesic effect in experimental and clinical studies. However, it was reported that MeCbl had no effect on treating lumbar spinal stenosis induced pain. Thus, the effects of short-term and long-term administration of MeCbl were examined in the chronic compression of dorsal root ganglion (CCD) model. We found that mechanical allodynia was significantly inhibited by a continuous application of high dose and a single treatment of a super high dose of MeCbl. Little is known about mechanisms underlying the analgesia of MeCbl. We examined the effect of MeCbl on the spontaneous activity (SA), the excitability, and hyperpolarization-activated nonselective cation ion current in compressed medium-sized dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons using extracellular single fiber recording in vivo and whole-cell patch clamp in vitro. We found that MeCbl significantly inhibited the SA of A-type sensory neurons in a dose-dependent manner and inhibited the excitability of medium-sized DRG neurons. In addition, MeCbl also decreased I_h current density in injured medium-sized DRG neurons. Our results proved that MeCbl might exert an analgesic effect through the inhibition I_h current and then might inhibit the hyperexcitability of primary sensory neurons under neuropathic pain state.

Methyl Vitamin B12 but not methylfolate rescues a motor neuron-like cell line from homocysteine-mediated cell death

Homocysteine is an excitatory amino acid implicated in multiple diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Information on the toxicity of homocysteine in motor neurons is limited and few studies have examined how this toxicity can be modulated. In NSC-34D cells (a hybrid cell line derived from motor neuron-neuroblastoma), homocysteine induces apoptotic cell death in the millimolar range with a TC₅₀ (toxic concentration at which 50% of maximal cell death is achieved) of 2.2 mM, confirmed by activation of caspase 3/7. Induction of apoptosis was independent of short-term reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Methyl Vitamin B12 (MeCbl) and methyl tetrahydrofolate (MTHF), used clinically to treat elevated homocysteine levels, were tested for their ability to reverse homocysteine-mediated motor neuron cell death. MeCbl in the micromolar range was able to provide neuroprotection (2 h pretreatment prior to homocysteine) and neurorescue (simultaneous exposure with homocysteine) against millimolar homocysteine with an IC₅₀ (concentration at which 50% of maximal cell death is inhibited) of 0.6 μM and 0.4 μM, respectively. In contrast, MTHF (up to 10 μM) had no effect on homocysteine-mediated cell death. MeCbl inhibited caspase 3/7 activation by homocysteine in a time- and dose-dependent manner, whereas MTHF had no effect. We conclude that MeCbl is effective against homocysteine-induced cell death in motor neurons in a ROS-independent manner, via a reduction in caspase activation and apoptosis. MeCbl decreases Hcy induced motor neuron death in vitro in a hybrid cell line derived from motor neuron-neuroblastoma and may play a role in the treatment of late stage ALS where HCy levels are increased in animal models of ALS.

Methylcobalamin amplifies melatonin-induced circadian phase shifts by facilitation of melatonin synthesis in the rat pineal gland

Effects of methylcobalamin (methyl-B12), a putative drug for treating human circadian rhythm disorders, on the melatonin-induced circadian phase shifts were examined in the rat. An intraperitoneal injection of 1-100 microg/kg melatonin 2-h before the activity onset time (CT 10) induced phase advances of free-running activity rhythms in a dose-dependent manner (ED50=1.3 microg/kg). Injection of methyl-B12 (500 microg/kg) prior to melatonin (1 microg/kg) injection induced larger phase advances than saline preinjected controls, while the injection of methyl-B12 in combination with saline did not induce a phase advance. These results indicate amplification of melatonin-induced phase advances by methyl-B12. Pinealectomy abolished the phase alternating effect of methyl-B12, suggesting a site of action within the pineal gland. In fact, methyl-B12 significantly increased the content of melatonin in the pineal collected 2-h after activity onset (CT 14). In contrast, no difference in melatonin content was found at CT 10, indicating that the effect of methyl-B12 may be gated after the activity onset time when endogenous melatonin synthesis is known to increase. These results suggest that methyl-B12 amplifies melatonin-induced phase advances via an increase in melatonin synthesis during the early subjective night at a point downstream from the clock regulation.

Circadian rhythms in vitamin B12 content of the rat brain

The whole brain content of vitamin B12 (VB12) in the rat was assayed by the chemiluminescent immunoassay at 4 h intervals in 12:12 h light-dark cycles (LD) and five different circadian times (CTs) under constant dim illumination (dim LL). In LD-entrained rats, the content of VB12 exhibited a day-night rhythm with a peak 2 h after the dark onset time and a trough 2 h before the light onset time. In freerunning rats under dim LL, the content of VB12 also exhibited a circadian variation with a peak ca. 2 h after the activity onset time (CT14) and a trough ca. 12 h after the activity onset time (CT 0). These findings clearly indicate that the brain VB12 content decreased during the active phase and increased during the resting phase regardless of the lighting schedule. On the other hand, the drinking behavior, as an index of the intake activity, was observed less frequently in the light phase of LD cycles and the resting phase of dim LL. Since most of the digested VB12 is known to be continuously stored in the liver, it is demonstrated that the rhythm of the brain content of VB12 may be caused by brain consumption of VB12 during the active phase and the transportation from the peripheral storage during the resting phase, independent of intake activities.