Vitamin-binding Capacity of Experimentally Injured Liver

Evaluation of Homocysteine, Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 Levels among Egyptian Children with Idiopathic Epilepsy

Objective: To evaluate relationship between homocysteine (Hcy), folic acid and vitamin B12 with anti-epileptic drugs in epileptic patients and their role in epilepsy control.Patient and Methods: The study included 60 patients with idiopathic epilepsy and thirty non-epileptic children of the same age and sex served as controls. All cases were subjected to physical and neurological examination and electroencephalogram (EEG). Serum level of folic acid, homocysteine (Hcy) and vitamin B12 were done for both epileptic patients and controls. Non parametric test, one way ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation were used for analysis of data.Result: 44 patients (73.3%) had generalized epilepsy and the remaining patients had partial epilepsy (simple or complex). 37 patients (61.6%) were in grade I, 3 patients (5 %) were in grade II and the remaining 20 patients (33.3 %) were in grade III epilepsy. Vitamin B12 was significantly higher in epileptic patients. Duration of anti-epileptic drug treatment was correlated significantly to folic acid and Hcy level.Conclusion: antiepileptic drugs might upset the homeostatic balance of Hcy and its cofactors and cause abnormalities of their serum levels. The duration of anti-epileptic drug treatment was related to decrease of folic acid and increase in homocysteine levels.

Effects of ethanol consumption on the B-group vitamin contents of liver, blood and urine in rats

Several studies have shown that blood vitamin levels are lower in alcoholic patients than in control subjects. Acute ethanol exposure enhances the release of vitamins from liver cells in vitro. The aim of the present study is to confirm the effects of ethanol consumption on vitamin contents in vivo. We compared the contents of B-group vitamins in the liver, blood and urine between ethanol-fed and control rats fed a diet containing a sufficient- and low-vitamin mixture. The experimental rats were fed a 15 % ethanol solution freely for 28 d, and then 24 h urine samples were collected, after which the animals were killed. The B-group vitamin contents in the liver, blood and urine were measured. No differences in liver, blood and urine contents were observed between the control and ethanol-fed rats fed a diet containing a sufficient-vitamin mixture. On the contrary, in rats fed a diet containing a low-vitamin mixture, consumption of ethanol caused a decrease in the contents of vitamins B1, B2 and pantothenic acid in the liver; however, the contents of the other vitamins did not decrease. In the blood, the contents of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and pantothenic acid were lower in the ethanol-fed rats than in the controls. Urinary excretion of the B-group vitamins, except for niacin, was lower in the ethanol-fed rats. These results show that ethanol consumption affects the absorption, distribution and excretion of each of the vitamins in rats fed a diet containing a low-vitamin mixture.

Effect of prolonged anticonvulsant medication in epileptic patients: serum lipids, vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid, proteins, and fine structure of liver

Twenty-seven epileptic patients, most from low socioeconomic groups and aged 15-54 years, were studied for effects of prolonged anticonvulsant medication. They had received the usual doses of phenobarbitone and diphenylhydantoin (PHT) regularly for 3-32 years, with control of seizures, and had not taken any B-vitamins in the year before investigation. Besides reduced serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) folate levels, significantly increased levels of total vitamin B6 in CSF and serum and of vitamin B12 in serum were found in patients as compared with normal healthy subjects. The bone marrow was normoblastic, and significant elevation of serum triglycerides and/or cholesterol was observed in patients. The total protein level was only slightly reduced as compared with that of controls, but there was significant increase in beta-lipoprotein fraction on gel electrophoresis. Plasma proteins concerned with vitamins and lipid transport showed no remarkable change, and no abnormal protein was detected. Although there was no clinical hepatic involvement, liver biopsy performed in 9 of 27 patients revealed fine structural changes in hepatocytes suggestive of varying degrees of drug-induced changes. A ramifying network of short, smooth, endoplasmic cisternae with depleted rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), distended sinusoids with Kupffer cells, dark shrunken hepatocytes with reduced mitochondria, and increased lipofuscin were observed. This suggested an adaptive response of the liver, a reversible change, possibly related to the increased serum lipids in the same patients.

Coenzyme-B12 therapy in acute viral hepatitis

Extra vitamins are needed to repair tissue damage and compensate for diminished hepatic storage during viral hepatitis. Coenzyme-B12 has recently been synthesized and ought to have a favourable effect on the damaged liver cell as has previously been reported for cyanocobalamin, since it is better absorbed by oral administration and to a greater extent accumulated in the liver. Two groups of patients from the same hepatitis A epidemic were treated with either coenzyme-B12 or cyanocobalamin. A more rapid return of serum aminotransferase (S-ALAT) levels to normal was observed in the group treated with coenzyme-B12.