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Vitamin neurotoxicity.

S R Snodgrass1

  • 1Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033.

Molecular Neurobiology
|January 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary

High vitamin intake can cause neurotoxicity, with vitamin A and pyridoxine being the most common culprits. Understanding vitamin metabolism and entry into the central nervous system is crucial for preventing adverse effects.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biochemistry
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Vitamins possess reactive functional groups essential for biological roles but can cause toxicity if altered.
  • Identifying vitamin toxicity is challenging, with established neurotoxic effects primarily linked to hypervitaminosis A and pyridoxine excess.
  • Vitamin A and D receptors, part of the steroid receptor superfamily, regulate gene expression and development, influencing neurological functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the identification and mechanisms of vitamin neurotoxicity.
  • To highlight the established neurotoxic effects of hypervitaminosis A and pyridoxine.
  • To discuss the potential for neurotoxicity from other vitamins and the challenges in defining safe dosage limits.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of established vitamin neurotoxic effects.
  • Discussion of vitamin metabolism, receptor interactions, and central nervous system (CNS) entry.
  • Analysis of vitamin A toxicity as a model for understanding vitamin neurotoxicity.

Main Results:

  • Hypervitaminosis A (pseudotumor cerebri) and pyridoxine (sensory neuropathy) are the only well-established human neurotoxicities.
  • Other vitamins like folates and thiamine can cause neuroexcitation in experimental models but rarely in humans.
  • Vitamin A and its analogs pose a higher neurotoxic risk due to efficient CNS entry and broad effects on gene expression.

Conclusions:

  • Megadose vitamin therapy can lead to injuries mistaken for disease symptoms.
  • The nervous system is relatively protected from systemic vitamin toxicity due to CNS permeability barriers.
  • Direct administration of vitamins into the brain or cerebrospinal fluid is hazardous and should be avoided.

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