Influence of D-Sorbitol on Absorption of Vitamin B12 by Patients with ...

D-<strong>Sorbitol</strong> in Pernicious Anemia and Achlorhydria 329
same amount <strong>of</strong> vitamin B,2 together with 10
ml <strong>of</strong> a (jo per cent aqueous solution <strong>of</strong> D-sorbitol.
These studies were conducted on four separate
occasions (identified as studies 1-4), with
the number <strong>of</strong> subjects in each group shown in
Table II. Two hours later all subjects were injected
with 1000 jg <strong>of</strong> unlabeled vitamin B,2 and
their urine samples were collected for 24 hours
for radioactivity measurement.
‘I All results are expressed as per cent <strong>of</strong> the 2 pg <strong>of</strong>
radiovitamin B,, given orally.
6 Approximate.
RESULTS
Patients with Pernicious Anemia
Our studies with the urinary excretion test in
more than 100 healthy subjects show that the
average normal excretion is 1 1 .0 per cent <strong>of</strong> the
test dose <strong>of</strong> vitamin B,2. As shown in Table I,
in the first test all patients excreted less than 1.5
per cent <strong>of</strong> the dose <strong>of</strong> vitamin B,2, thus confirming
the diagnoses <strong>of</strong> pernicious anemia.
The test with D-sorbitol demonstrated that a’60
per cent aqueous solution <strong>of</strong> D-sorbitol had no
effect on the absorption <strong>of</strong> orally administered
vitamin B,2 by patients with pernicious anemia;
D-sOrbitol increased absorption in only 1 <strong>of</strong> the
12 patients tested (patient 5 in Table I).
Subjects with Achiorhydria
The data on the urinary excretion <strong>of</strong> subjects
TABLE
Effect <strong>of</strong> D-<strong>Sorbitol</strong> on the Urinary Excretion <strong>of</strong> Orally
Fed RadioactiVe Vitamin B,, by Patients with
Patient
1
2
3
Pernicious
C Only significant increase (low normal range).
I
Anemiaa
Vitamin B12
+ water
0.1
05b
05b
Vitamin BI2
+ sorbitol
. 0.7
0.5
0.5
4 0.1 0.1
5 1.5 5.0c
6 0.1 0.1
7 0.5 1.0
S 0.6 1.5
9 - 1.2
10 - 1.4
11 - 0.5
12 - 1.4
TABLE
Effect <strong>of</strong> D-<strong>Sorbitol</strong> on the l.ninary Excretion <strong>of</strong> Orally
Fed Radioactive \‘ita1nin B,, by Subjects with
Study
Subject
No.
Achlorhvdnia”
a All results are expressed as per cent <strong>of</strong> the 50 pg <strong>of</strong>
radiovitamin B,, given orally.
b Only a small portion <strong>of</strong> the 24-hour urine specimen
was collected and was, therefore, discarded.
C Mean and standard error. The difference in the
means <strong>of</strong> both groups is statistically significant (p <
0.01) calculated according to the Students’ t test.
II
Group A
(vitamin B,,
+ water)
1 1 1.61 2.38
2 1.22 3.83
3 2.14 3.17
2 4 0.51 1.91
3 7
8
5 0.81 1.06
6 1.66 2.34
9
1.73
1.22
0.56
Group B
(vitamin 1312
+ sorhitol)
1.35
2.21
b
4 10 0.65 1.83
MEANC 1.21 ± 0.178 2.23 ± 0.284
in Groups A and B are presented in Table II.
They demonstrate that a 60 per cent aqueous
solution <strong>of</strong> sorbitol enhances the absorption <strong>of</strong>
orally administered vitamin B,2 by subjects
with achlorhydria. The same effect was observed
in four separate studies, and the difference
in the urinary excretion <strong>of</strong> radioactivity is
statistically
significant.
DISCUSSION
The finding that D-sorbitOl does not increase
absorption <strong>of</strong> orally administered vitamin B,2
by patients with pernicious anemia agrees with
the findings <strong>of</strong> Ellenbogen and his associatestm#{176}
and confirms our original observation.
The lack <strong>of</strong> efficacy clearly differentiates
D-sorbitol from intrinsic factor, which by definition
must increase absorption <strong>of</strong> vitamin B,2
in patients with pernicious anemia. Since
D-sorbitol can be effective in increasing absorption
<strong>of</strong> vitamin B,, in patients where there is no
demonstrable lack <strong>of</strong> intrinsic factor, or even in
subjects with achlorhydria, it appears that
there are a number <strong>of</strong> different mechanisms by
which vitamin B,, is absorbed from the gastrointestinal
tract.
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