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Biochemical, hematological, bone and DNA methylation responses to B12 supplementation in deficient Mexican women
Author(s) -
ShahabFerdows Setareh,
Anaya Miriam,
Rosado Jorge,
Pogribny Igor,
Tryndyak Volodymyr,
Allen Lindsay H
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a679-b
Subject(s) - medicine , vitamin b12 , methylmalonic acid , endocrinology , methylation , placebo , dna methylation , biology , biochemistry , dna , gene , pathology , gene expression , alternative medicine
A high prevalence of low plasma B12, possibly indicating B12 deficiency, has been reported throughout Latin America including Mexico. To determine the functional significance of the low plasma B12, this study assessed biochemical, hematological and other responses to B12 supplementation in women aged 18–75 y in rural Querétaro. After baseline blood collection the women were assigned randomly to B12 supplements (1000 ug hydroxycobalamin i.m. + 500 ug/d orally, 5 d/wk for 3 mo, n=87) or placebo (pills identical to supplements, n=63). Measures at baseline and 3 mo included complete blood count, plasma B12, holotranscobalamin (holoTC), folate, methylmalonic acid (MMA), DNA methylation, and bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP). At baseline 17% were B12 deficient (plasma B12 <150 pmol/L) and 21% had marginal status (150–220 pmol/L). MMA was elevated in 13% and correlated with plasma B12 (r= −0.33, P<0.0001). Compared to the placebo group, GLM showed that supplementation increased plasma B12 by 98 pmol/L (P<0.001) and holoTC by 77 pmol/L (P<0.001), and lowered MMA by 67 nmol/L (P<0.001). There was no effect of supplementation on any hematological measure including MCV, or on BAP or DNA methylation. The results confirm that the low plasma B12 indicates B12 depletion with impaired methylmalonyl CoA mutase activity, but the deficiency does not impair hematopoiesis, bone turnover or DNA methylation. Funded by UCMexus and USDA.