Folate and Methylation cycle, Peripheral Neuropathy

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Folate and Methylation cycle, Peripheral Neuropathy

by tealady @ Saturday, 04. Oct, 2008 – 12:51:59 pm

Here are some links relating to folic acid(folate), SAMe, B12, methylation (betaine, TMG)levels and the methylation cycle. This affects depression and dementia and or perhaps a early precursor of some form of dementia:- a "fuzzy" (non clear) thinking. I would expect this to occur in the more mature age in particular as absorption of folate or B12 may sometimes be non optimal in older age (and this could be from middle age with a gradual decrease leading to a gradual decline). A lowish, albeit still in normal range folic acid level, may lead to "fuzzy" (non clear) thinking.
One of my friends on here has found folic acid has helped him.

Folate Cycle and the associated Methylation Cycle:

See page 5;
http://www.metafolin.com/pdfs/Scientific_Review_13.12.pdf

See Figure 1; (enlarged clear figure below)
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/136/10/2653

Figure 1 (above) enlarged;
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/vol136/issue10/images/large/2653fig1.jpeg

Better diagrams of Stahl's than those he has on the Deplin website. See Figure 2 and Figure 5;
http://www.cnsspectrums.com/aspx/articledetail.aspx?articleid=1267

An article from 2006 entitled "New and Emerging Treatment Options for Neuropathic Pain".
Treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) using a combination of L-methylfolate, P-5-P, and B12. See paragraph 10, not counting the abstract.
http://www.ajmc.com/Article.cfm?Menu=1&ID=3156
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5 Comments to Folate and Methylation cycle, Peripheral Neuropathy

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- Bob.m9uk (Visitor)
- Saturday, 04. Oct, 2008 @ 08:46:36 pm
Hi Jan,

Thanks for digging this work out.

I'll get my head around it later after a swim (promised Ellie I'd take her swimming today)....

My 5mg/day of Px folic acid has been in place this last year and is doing very well for me (the first very subtle signs of improvment appeared after about 6-8weeks).

I'm delighted to be gob-smacked at its value in relieving the short-term memory problem...since it also improved the intellectual functioning as well.

I could barely recognise that I had written some of the stuff I put together a few years back.

My short-term memory was what drove me to the docs (and stumbling around first thing in the morning)...

The serum folate level came back within the 'normal range' and I suggested that it was obvious from my 'brain effects' that the level was inadequate. The 'average' value was about 2x times as high.

Since the Red Cell Folate level is deduced from the difference between whole blood folate and serum folate

it seems that low serum folate has to be viewed with some suspicion ~ not telling all of the story!

My experience is a possible explanation of a long-term and sporadic variation in folate level leading to mental ill-health problems going back decades....and I suspect ADHD may be associated with this problem.

L&BW Bob
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- tealady
- Saturday, 04. Oct, 2008 @ 09:53:38 pm
Thanks for the update Bob. I was wondering if you were still improving. It's great to hear.
My Mum and I both have high red cell folate, as I've mentioned before :-) Mum has now been diagnosed with vascular dementia presumably from the heart attack . The CT scan shows a slightly "shrunk" brain and calcification of blood vessels within the brain. I have no idea if the high red blood cell folate (which appears to be possibly hereditary as I have it too) with NO suppplementation of folate and all else normal has anything to do with it. It perhaps may imply an inability to "use" folate optimally, but so far nothing in the research has covered this one. Mum does seem to improve slightly with B12 injections as well as B1 (about 10mg) of B1. We both go red/purply in palms of hands and soles of feet with a B12 injection(so I give a lower dose).. which has to mean something too..and it doesn't seem to happen with B1 accompanying the lower dose B12 injection .. I think?? perhaps just B12 depleting B1, but it's not the case for anyone else I've ever come across.
In your test results was it just serum folate that was low in range? I can only get a test for "red blood cell folate" over here. It could, of course, be a derived test figure, as you say, and I have NO way of finding out unfortunately.
Mum's grandmother died of dementia.

I'm still recovering from that truck accident.. still improving. Still busy trying to get some money to cover treatment costs. At present reading anything scientific is beyond me :-) I seem to bew gradually picking up and can read some blog entries of my friends though . That has been helping me a lot, with laughs and smiles>

L.BW Jan
- - MKBob
  - Monday, 10. Nov, 2008 @ 08:31:45 am
  Dear Jan
  
  http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/86/3/728
  
  Plasma folate concentration and cognitive performance: Rotterdam Scan Study 1,2,3
  
  Lonneke ML de Lau, Helga Refsum, A David Smith, Carole Johnston and Monique MB Breteler
  
  Background:Evidence is increasing for beneficial and independent effects of folate on cognitive function, but the underlying biologic mechanism is as yet unknown.
  ~~~~~~
  Conclusions:Higher plasma folate concentrations are associated with better global cognitive function and better performance on tests of psychomotor speed, regardless of homocysteine concentration. These associations may be mediated by vascular mechanisms.
  
  L&BW Bob
  
  more to follow
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- MKBob
- Tuesday, 07. Oct, 2008 @ 10:45:27 pm
Hi Jan,

The serum folate is measured, then the whole blood folate, so they take one from the other and get the value for red cell folate. My inference from my result was that perhaps something was wrong with the apparent measurement of folate in serum and/or its availability
ie perhaps a transport problem.

We both ( Anne and I ) had a prescription check with our local pharamacist last week and I reported that folate was of benefit even though it was measured 'in range' according to lab tests....heard that one before!!

So it might go onto someone's database as being a beneficial treatment for short-term memory loss ~ maybe even the local doctor's 'puter!

I hope to get some feedback soon from the guys in Manchester doing a study on pernicious anemia.

Glad that you can keep smiling :-)

Knocks over another dragon ......

ROFL

L&BW Bob
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- MKBob
- Thursday, 22. Jan, 2009 @ 09:35:18 am
This is getting interesting:-

http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v62/n8/abs/1602810a.html

Association between decreased vitamin levels and MTHFR, MTR and MTRR gene polymorphisms as determinants for elevated total homocysteine concentrations in pregnant women.

Barbosa PR, Stabler SP, Machado AL, Braga RC, Hirata RD, Hirata MH, Sampaio-Neto LF, Allen RH, Guerra-Shinohara EM.

Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) (C677T and A1298C), methionine synthase (MTR) A2756G and methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) A66G gene polymorphisms and total homocysteine (tHcy), methylmalonic acid (MMA) and S-adenosylmethionine/S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAM/SAH) levels; and to evaluate the potential interactions with folate or cobalamin (Cbl) status.

SUBJECTS/METHODS: Two hundred seventy-five healthy women at labor who delivered full-term normal babies. Cbl, folate, tHcy, MMA, SAM and SAH were measured in serum specimens. The genotypes for polymorphisms were determined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).

RESULTS: Serum folate, MTHFR 677T allele and MTR 2756AA genotypes were the predictors of tHcy levels in pregnant women. Serum Cbl and creatinine were the predictors of SAM/SAH ratio and MMA levels, respectively. The gene polymorphisms were not determinants for MMA levels and SAM/SAH ratios.

Low levels of serum folate were associated with elevated tHcy in pregnant women, independently of the gene polymorphisms.

In pregnant women carrying MTHFR 677T allele, or MTHFR 1298AA or MTRR 66AA genotypes, lower Cbl levels were associated with higher levels of tHcy. Lower SAM/SAH ratio was found in MTHFR 677CC or MTRR A2756AA genotypes carriers when Cbl levels were lower than 142 pmol/l.

CONCLUSIONS: Serum folate and MTHFR C677T and MTR A2576G gene polymorphisms were the determinants for tHcy levels. The interaction between low levels of serum Cbl and MTHFR (C677T or A1298C) or MTRR A66G gene polymorphisms was associated with increased tHcy.

PMID: 17522601 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v62/n8/abs/1602810a.html

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2008) 62, 1010–1021; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602810; published online 23 May 2007

Keywords: cobalamin, folate, polymorphisms, homocysteine, methylmalonic acid, pregnant women

No Surprise here then ....!
L&BW
Bob
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Folate and Methylation cycle, Peripheral Neuropathy

5 Comments to Folate and Methylation cycle, Peripheral Neuropathy

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