Polyamine concentrations in the brain of vitamin B12-deficient rats

To study the pathophysiology of the neuronal degeneration in vitamin B-12 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 B-12-deficient diet for 20 weeks. No remarkable behavioral changes were observed. Serum vitamin B-12 and hepatic methionine concentrations were significantly lower and hepatic homocysteine was elevated in rats fed vitamin B-12-deficient diet than in controls. Vitamin B-12 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 B-12 deficiency may play a role in neuronal degeneration through the disturbance of polyamine concentrations in rat brain.