Efficacy of MB12 and folinic acid treatment on glutathione redox status

[Guest guest]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19056591

BACKGROUND: Metabolic abnormalities and targeted treatment trials

have been reported for several neurobehavioral disorders but are

relatively understudied in autism. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this

study was to determine whether or not treatment with the metabolic

precursors, methylcobalamin and folinic acid, would improve plasma

concentrations of transmethylation/transsulfuration metabolites and

glutathione redox status in autistic children. DESIGN: In an open-

label trial, 40 autistic children were treated with 75 mug/kg

methylcobalamin (2 times/wk) and 400 mug folinic acid (2 times/d)

for 3 mo. Metabolites in the transmethylation/transsulfuration

pathway were measured before and after treatment and compared with

values measured in age-matched control children. RESULTS: The

results indicated that pretreatment metabolite concentrations in

autistic children were significantly different from values in the

control children. The 3-mo intervention resulted in significant

increases in cysteine, cysteinylglycine, and glutathione

concentrations (P < 0.001). The oxidized disulfide form of

glutathione was decreased and the glutathione redox ratio increased

after treatment (P < 0.008). Although mean metabolite concentrations

were improved significantly after intervention, they remained below

those in unaffected control children. CONCLUSIONS: The significant

improvements observed in transmethylation metabolites and

glutathione redox status after treatment suggest that targeted

nutritional intervention with methylcobalamin and folinic acid may

be of clinical benefit in some children who have autism. This trial

was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00692315.