Comparative clinical studies on the effect of thiamine and cocarboxylase.

Abstract

Comparative clinical studies on the effect of thiamine and cocarboxylase wereconducted using the Sawada urine test, liver function test (Miyaji's phenol-FeCl3 test), rise in blood thiamine level, urinary thiamine excretion, transfer of thiamine into erythrocytes, santonin detoxification test and esterification of thiamine following administration of insulin as criteria. The following results were obtained:1. There was litttle difference in effect between thiamine and cocarboxylase using the three-hour method of the urine test. With the one-hour method, however, cocarboxylase was found to have a superior effect, the difference being fairly significant. With the phenol-FeCl3 test, cocarboxylase was found to be superior without exception.2. Under the conditions of this experiment, no difference between thiamine and cocarboxylase was detected in regards to their effect on blood thiamine level and urinary thiamine excretion.3. There was scarcely any transfer of thiamine or cocarboxylase into erythrocytes in an in vitro experiment.4. Thiamine had little effect on the detoxification of santonin in rabbits, whereas cocarboxylase as well as thiamine propyl disulfide manifested an intensive beneficial effect.5. When thiamine is injected in a diabetic patient following insulin injection, there is a rise in the esterified thiamine level in the blood and a decrease in urinary thiamine excretion as compared with the non-loaded experiment.