title: Polyamine concentrations in the brain of vitamin B12-deficient rats.
abstract: To study the pathophysiology of the neuronal degeneration in vitamin B12 deficiency, we investigated the concentrations of the polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine in brain regions and liver using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Male Wistar rats were fed either a control or vitamin B12-deficient diet for 20 weeks. No remarkable behavioral changes were observed. Serum vitamin B12 and hepatic methionine concentrations were significantly lower and hepatic homocysteine was elevated in rats fed vitamin B12-deficient diet than in controls. Vitamin B12 deficiency was associated with decreased concentrations of spermidine, spermidine in liver and some regions of brain, although there were no observed abnormalities in behavior. These results suggest that vitamin B12 deficiency may play a role in neuronal degeneration through the disturbance of polyamine concentrations in rat brain.
authors.affiliation: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Aichi Medical University, Yazako, Aichi-ken, Japan.
authors.forename: Koshin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Osano
authors.forename: Naofumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Shinobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takatsu
authors.forename: Shin-Ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Terao
authors.forename: Terunori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitsuma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D011073:Polyamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D011700:Putrescine / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013095:Spermidine / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013096:Spermine / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency
chemical_list: D011073:Polyamines; D006710:Homocysteine; D013096:Spermine; D008715:Methionine; D014805:Vitamin B 12; D013095:Spermidine; D011700:Putrescine