VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES IN THE AETIOLOGY OF SOME DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM IN NIGERIANS.

Abstract

In many countries of the world, especially the developing countries such as Nigeria, there is a great shortage of food both in quantity and quality. Little is known of the vitamin nutritional status of Nigerians in relation to the aetiology of nutritional neurological diseases. The results of the investigation of the role of deficiencies of some water-soluble vitamins in the aetiology of nutritional diseases of the nervous system in Nigerians are presented. In the Nigerian nutritional ataxic neuropathy, a anemia previously shown to be associated with chronic cyanide intoxication of dietary origin, riboflavin deficiency occurs, and in many of the patients, marginal or overt thiamin deficiency is present as assessed by biochemical methods. Thiamin, deficiency is a cause of peripheral neuropathy, is marginal in patients with the tropical ataxic neuropathy and is also present in patients with idiopathic cardiomagaly. Nigerians are known to have normal or high serum vitamin B12 levels probably due to high serum protein binding. The present study establishes the physiological adequacy at tissue level of this vitamin and confirms earlier findings of higher oyanocobalamin (one of the various forms of vitamin B12) in the serum and liver of Nigerian patients with the ataxic neuropathy Serum folic acid concentrations are subnormal in Nigerian epileptics who have been treated with anticonvulsants. Deficiency of nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid and pyridoxine as assessed by measurement of serum concentrations are uncommon, as aetiological factors in nutritional neurological diseases. Experimental studies carried out with wistar rats fed purupuru (a cassava derivative) showed significantly higher excretion of thiocyanate (a detoxication product of cyanide) when compared with normal controls, Administration of combinations of riboflavin, hydroxocebalamin, and amino-acids in wistar rats loads to increased excretion of thiocyanate in the urine.