INTRODUCTION Dexamethasone and vitamin B(12) are currently used in the clinic to treat peripheral nerve damage but their mechanisms of action remain incompletely understood. In this study we hypothesized that dexamethasone and vitamin B(12) promote the production of endogenous neurotrophic factors, thereby enhancing peripheral nerve repair. MATERIAL AND METHODS Ninety-six adult male Wistar ra...

PURPOSE This study was designed to measure vitamin D metabolites in the aqueous and vitreous humor and in tear fluid, and to determine if dietary vitamin D3 supplementation affects these levels. We also determined if the corneal epithelium can synthesize vitamin D following UV-B exposure. METHODS Rabbits were fed a control or vitamin D3 supplemented diet. Pilocarpine-stimulated tear fluid was...

BACKGROUND Bariatric surgery has been proven the most effective treatment of morbid obesity, but micronutrient deficiency following bariatric surgery is a major concern. Increasing evidence points to a generally poor micronutrient status in obese subjects. METHODS We assessed micronutrient status in 232 morbidly obese subjects (BMI > or = 35 kg/m(2)) prior to bariatric surgery. Serum albumin,...

Three patients are described, and they provide further evidence that deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B(12) may sometimes affect small intestinal function. Malabsorption of both xylose and vitamin B(12) returned to normal in one patient after treatment of a megaloblastic anaemia due to dietary deficiency of folic acid. Impaired absorption of vitamin B(12) was corrected by vitamin B(12) ther...

OBJECTIVE The associations of vitamin B(12), folate, and homocysteine with depression were examined in a population-based study. METHOD The authors screened 3,884 elderly people for depressive symptoms. Subjects with positive screening results had psychiatric workups. Folate, vitamin B(12), and homocysteine blood levels were compared in 278 persons with depressive symptoms, including 112 with...

BACKGROUND High intake of folate, vitamin B(6), and vitamin B(12) have been hypothesized to lower the risk for breast cancer. We conducted a population-based case-control study to evaluate the risk for breast cancer among Mexican women with relatively low vitamin intakes. METHODS We included 475 women (median age, 53 years; range, 23-87 years) diagnosed with incident breast cancer through six...

The authors evaluated associations between intakes of folate and vitamin B(6) and colorectal cancer risk among women enrolled in a randomized trial on aspirin and vitamin E in disease prevention. At baseline (1992-1995), 37,916 US women aged >or=45 years who were free of cancer and cardiovascular disease provided dietary information. During an average of 10.1 years of follow-up (through Februar...

BACKGROUND Mushrooms are the only non-animal food source of vitamin D. Wild mushrooms have naturally high vitamin D(2) content, and cultivated mushrooms produce vitamin D(2) from ergosterol when exposed to supplementary UV-B during the post-harvest phase. OBJECTIVES This study investigated the effects of providing supplementary UV-B during the growth phase on vitamin D(2) formation and the in...

OBJECTIVE Potential vitamin B(12) deficiency is a common clinical diagnostic problem, and many providers have a low threshold for initiating therapy. The goal of this study was to systematically evaluate current practice patterns regarding the laboratory evaluation of suspected vitamin B(12) deficiency. METHODS This retrospective study reviewed the electronic medical records of 192 patients i...