The availability of therapeutic hydroxocobalamin to cells

Hydroxocobalamin (OH-Cbl), when used to treat vitamin B12 deficiency, is better retained by the body than is cyanocobalamin (CN-Cbl), but the availability to cells has not been studied systematically. In a series of experiments, we compared the uptake and internalization of OH-Cbl and CN-Cbl bound to transcobalamin II (TCII) by a human cell model, the HeLa cell. TCII-OH-Cbl was: (1) taken up in larger amounts per unit time, (2) the greater uptake was not a consequence of more effective attachment to receptors of TCII-Cbl nor to a more rapid regeneration of receptors, (3) the difference was expressed during the phase of internalization of TCII-Cbl, (4) with CN-Cbl, the stages of binding to receptors plus internalization were more readily reversed, and (5) larger amounts of OH-Cbl were internalized and converted to active coenzyme forms of Cbl. When injected into a healthy person, 200 micrograms of OH-Cbl was better retained in the circulation than 200 micrograms of CN-Cbl. When added in vitro in equivalent amounts, more OH-Cbl was bound to nonspecific plasma proteins. This greater and broader binding neither enhanced nor interfered with the uptake of Cbl by cells, which was determined by the amount of Cbl bound physiologically to TCII. It was concluded that OH-Cbl is a more efficient form of treatment of the common types of Cbl deficiency, principally because of the better retention, which requires less frequent injections, but also because of greater availability to cells.