Nature Made Vitamin B12
Research conducted at the Institute for Research on Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology, CONICET discovered a new role for ascorbic acid, better known as nature made vitamin b12 C, in the retina and brain. While the study of ascorbic acid-vitamin C, is very old, is a relatively recent analysis was done on the importance of the brain. Previously it was thought that nature made vitamin b12 influenced the immune system, was used to prevent colds and the kidney is largely eliminated quickly. Thus, research focused on the antioxidant actions on different organs, but little thought to the brain. . What was learned about 5 or 6 years was the brain accumulated large amounts of nature made vitamin b12 C, but the role that this nature made vitamin b12 was in neurons was not very clear, especially as related to neurotransmission. It was known that in the retina, for example, nature made vitamin b12 C protects the cornea from ultraviolet radiation and prevents damage to the oxidizing compounds that occur in the transmission of light. "But it was not known that ascorbic acid could also participate in the way that neurons can compute their inhibitions and their excitations, ie how to produce the neurotransmitter in the retina and that ascorbic acid had a role in such physiological process, particularly in the GABA-gamma amino butyric acid, an amino acid, is the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the retina and the brain, "said Dr. Daniel Calvo, CONICET researcher at the Institute for Research on Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology (INGEBI). What is surprising is the nature made vitamin b12 of the chemicals involved, which are well known. On the one hand, has long studied the GABA, gamma amino butyric acid, an amino acid. On the other, also has long studied the vitamin C. But what this research team found is that nature made vitamin b12 is necessary for that amino acid normally acts on the retina. It may be necessary to remember that the central nervous system is responsible for receiving and processing the sensations gathered by the different senses and transmit orders in response to various effectors, which are responsible for executing those orders. We combined molecular biology and electrophysiology. In the first case study was conducted with a model, ie cells that allow frogs express large amounts of foreign recipients. Obtained by genetic engineering receptors are located within cells that are frog oocytes, which are giant and expressing large amounts of receptor. This was done in experimental models that are equivalent to the human retina and are validated for what is synaptic transmission in all vertebrates. "This is a recent discovery and the lab is still working on this issue. Then we will know the final impact in a few years. But with the results achieved so far may portend its relevance to retinal diseases, such as for glaucoma, and also for brain diseases like epilepsy, "predicted Calvo. This project, recently published in Journal of Neuroscience, was conducted at the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology of INGEBI and was directed by Dr. Daniel J. Calvo. It also took the fellow Cecilia Calero, Henrique von Gersdorff doctors and Evan Vickers U. S. Oregon Health Science University, Luis G. Aguayo Gustavo Moraga-Cid, University of Concepción Chile. . . .
