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Review
. 2008 Nov;28(7):923-31.
doi: 10.1007/s10571-008-9297-7. Epub 2008 Jul 19.

Metabolic and structural role of thiamine in nervous tissues

Abdoulaye Bâ  1
Affiliations
Review

Metabolic and structural role of thiamine in nervous tissues

Abdoulaye Bâ. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2008 Nov.

Abstract

In the literature, previous descriptions of the role of thiamine (B1 vitamin) focused mostly on its biochemical functions as a coenzyme precursor of some key enzymes of the carbohydrate metabolism. This report reviews recent developments on the metabolic and structural role of thiamine, e.g., the coenzyme and noncoenzyme functions of the vitamin. Taking into account analysis of our experimental data relating to the effects of thiamine deficiency on developing central nervous system (CNS) and data available in literature, we seek to establish a clear difference between the metabolic and structural role of thiamine. Our experimental data indicate that the specific and nonspecific effects express two diametrically diverse functions of thiamine in development: the nonspecific effects show up the metabolic consequences of thiamine deficiency resulting in apoptosis and severe cellular deficit; inversely, the specific effects announced the structural consequences of thiamine deficiency, described as cellular membrane damage, irregular and ectopic cells. The review highlights the existence of noncoenzyme functions of this vitamin through its interactions with biological membranes.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Profiles of four typical effects of developmental thiamine deficiency on the CNS. Extract from data published elsewhere (Bâ ; Bâ et al. 1999, 2005)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
(a) Parasagittal sections of the left ventral hippocampus in 45-day-old rats. Paraffin 10 μm thick sections were stained with a combination of hematoxylin–eosin and indigo carmine; sections of the midtemporal hippocampus were assessed. (a) The arrowhead demarcates the CA3 region and the arrow denotes the CA1 region; field CA4 is enclosed by broken lines; bar = 100 μm. P: pyramidal cell layer; G: granule cell layer; sm: stratum moleculare; sr: stratum radiatum; so: stratum oriens. (b–d) Effects of developmental thiamine deficiencies on the hilar CA3 pyramidal cells of the hippocampus. (b) Controls; (c) Prenatal exposed pups; (d) Postnatal exposed; bar = 20 μm
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References

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