Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Response to Letter to the Editor
  • Published:

Response to: ‘Methylcobalamine is effective in peripheral neuropathies’

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 69, pages 534–535 (2015)Cite this article

Subjects

First of all, we thank Dr Swati Naik and Dr Dipesh Sonawne for having read our article with interest. However, it seems our message has been misconstrued.

Our article highlights a very basic biochemical pathway in the metabolism of vitamin B12, that is, its conversion to the two active forms—methyl (MeCbl) and adenosylcobalamine (AdCbl)–and their roles in the haematopoietic and neurological functioning, respectively.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Tanaka H . Old or new medicine? Vitamin B12 and peripheral nerve neuropathy. Brain Nerve 2013; 65: 1077–1082.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Turley CP, Brewster MA . Alpha-tocopherol protects against a reduction in adenosylcobalamin in oxidatively stressed human cells. J Nutr 1993; 123: 1305–1312.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Cooper DA, Berry DA, Spendel VA, King D, Kiorpes AL, Peters JC . Olestra dose response on fat-soluble and water-soluble nutrients in the pig. J Nutr 1997; 127: 1573S–1588S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Cheng-Ching E, Chahine L, Baron EP, Rae-Grant A . Comprehensive Review in Clinical Neurology. 1st edn Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins: Philadelphia, 2011.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Chiang PK, Gordon RK, Tal J, Zeng GC, Doctor BP, Pardhasaradhi K et al. S-Adenosylmethionine and methylation. FASEB J 1996; 10: 471–480.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Yudkoff M et al. Disorders of Organic Acid Metabolism. Siegel G, Agranoff B, Albers R et al. Basic Neurochemistry: Molecular, Cellular and Medical Aspects. Lippincott-Raven: Philadelphia, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Pazdernik TL, Kerecsen L . Vitamins. Goljan E. Rapid Review of Pharmacology, 3rd edn. Mosby Elsevier: Missouri, 2010, p 150.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Saher G, Quintes S, Nave K-A . Cholesterol: a novel regulatory role in myelin formation. Neuroscientist 2011; 17: 79–93.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Cooper BA, Rosenblatt DS . Inherited defects of vitamin B12 metabolism. Annu Rev Nutr 1987; 7: 291–320.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Quadros EV . Advances in the understanding of cobalamin assimilation and metabolism. Br J Haematol 2010; 148: 195–204.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Rossi A, Cerone R, Biancheri R, Gatti R, Schiaffino MC, Fonda C et al. Early-onset combined methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria: neuroradiologic findings. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2001; 22: 554–563.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Carrillo-Carrasco N, Venditti CP . Combined methylmalonic acidemia and homocystinuria, cblC type. II. Complications, pathophysiology, and outcomes. J Inherit Metab Dis 2012; 35: 103–114.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. O’Leary F, Samman S . Vitamin B12 in health and disease. Nutrients 2010; 2: 299–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Carmel R . How I treat cobalamin (vitamin B12) deficiency. Blood 2008; 112: 2214–2221.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Vidal-Alaball J, Butler C, Cannings-John R, Goringe A, Hood K, McCaddon K et al. Oral vitamin B12 versus intramuscular vitamin B12 for vitamin B12 deficiency. John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. for The Cochrane Collaboration, 2009 [cited 2014 Jun 11]. Available from http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD004655/oral-vitamin-b12-versus-intramuscular-vitamin-b12-for-vitamin-b12-deficiency.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Vidal-Alaball J, Butler CC, Cannings-John R, Goringe A, Hood K, McCaddon A et al. Oral vitamin B12 versus intramuscular vitamin B12 for vitamin B12 deficiency. Cochrane database Syst Rev 2005 [cited 2014 Jun 7]; (3): CD004655. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16034940.

  17. Shibuya K, Misawa S, Nasu S, Sekiguchi Y, Beppu M, Iwai Y et al. Safety and efficacy of intravenous ultra-high dose methylcobalamin treatment for peripheral neuropathy: a phase I/II open label clinical trial. Intern Med 2014; 53: 1927–1931.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Pop-Busui R, Lu J, Brooks MM, Albert S, Althouse AD, Escobedo J et al. Impact of glycemic control strategies on the progression of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) Cohort. Diabetes Care 2013; 36: 3208–3215.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Huang C-C, Chen T-W, Weng M-C, Lee C-L, Tseng H-C, Huang M-H . Effect of glycemic control on electrophysiologic changes of diabetic neuropathy in type 2 diabetic patients. Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2005; 21: 15–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Norlinah MI, Hamizah R, Md Isa SH, Wan Nazaimoon WM, Khalid BAK . The effects of short-term, rapid glycemic control on the peroneal nerve function and serum VCAM-1 and AGE in type 2 diabetic patients in Malaysia. Indian J Med Sci 2009; 63: 131–138.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Aggarwal A, Wood I . Low vitamin B12 syndrome in trigeminal neuralgia. J Pain Reli 2012; 1: 1–4.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Vasudevan D, Naik MM, Mukaddam QI . Efficacy and safety of methylcobalamin, alpha lipoic acid and pregabalin combination versus pregabalin monotherapy in improving pain and nerve conduction velocity in type 2 diabetes associated impaired peripheral neuropathic condition. [MAINTAIN]: Results. Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2014; 17: 19–24.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Gherasim C, Lofgren M, Banerjee R . Navigating the B(12) road: assimilation, delivery, and disorders of cobalamin. J Biol Chem 2013; 288: 13186–13193.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Marsh ENG, Meléndez GDR . Adenosylcobalamin enzymes: theory and experiment begin to converge. Biochim Biophys Acta 2012; 1824: 1154–1164.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Koparkhairne, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Navi Mumbai, India

    K Thakkar & G Billa

Authors
  1. K Thakkar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G Billa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G Billa.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Thakkar, K., Billa, G. Response to: ‘Methylcobalamine is effective in peripheral neuropathies’. Eur J Clin Nutr 69, 534–535 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2014.283

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2014.283

Search

Advanced search

Quick links