Effect of vitamin B complex on neurotransmission and neurite outgrowth.

1. The effect of vitamin B complex (vitamin B1, B6 and B12) was studied on nerve conduction velocity in acrylamide-neuropathy rats maintained on refined semisynthetic complete vitamin and vitamin B-deficient diets in vivo and on neurite outgrowth in vitro using cells obtained from dorsal root ganglions of mice. 2. Acrylamide neuropathy was clearer in the group maintained on a refined semisynthetic vitamin B-deficient diet than in those on a refined semisynthetic complete vitamin diet. The neurotoxicity was lowest in the group given vitamin B complex prophylactic-therapeutically, next higher following therapeutic administration and last with no vitamin B complex administration in both groups maintained on a refined semisynthetic vitamin B-deficient diet and a refined semisynthetic complete vitamin diet. 3. The nerve conduction velocity tended to decrease by treatment with acrylamide. The decrement of nerve conduction velocity was partially inhibited by vitamin B complex. No significant difference was found in the groups treated with acrylamide and given vitamin B complex prophylactic-therapeutically and the control (no acrylamide treatment) in the group maintained on a refined semisynthetic vitamin B-deficient diet. 4. The greatest neurite outgrowth was found in the group treated with vitamins B1, B6 and B12-enriched medium, followed by the group of vitamin B12-enriched and vitamin B1-enriched media. All groups treated with a vitamin B-enriched medium had significantly greater (P < 0.01) outgrowth than the controls.