Hepatic uptake and intestinal absorption of Co58-labelled 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazolyl-cobamide coenzyme.

Abstract

SummaryMeasurements of the hepatic uptake of orally administered Co58-labelled 5,6-dibenzimidazolylcobamide coenzyme suggest that it cannot be absorbed in the intestine in the absence of intrinsic factor and, consequently, cannot be used alone in oral treatment of pernicious anemia, Under similar conditions, less coenzyme than cyanocobalamin is deposited in the liver of patients with pernicious anemia when it is orally administered with active IF preparations from animal stomach. This may be due either to the lessened effect of animal IF preparations on intestinal absorption of coenzyme or to the diminished efficiency of intestinal absorption of coenzyme as compared with that of cyanocobalamin.Surface counting of intestinal areas after oral administration of labelled coenzyme alone and labelled cyanocobalamin to normal subjects and patients with pernicious anemia shows the radioactivity of the intestine to be much more prolonged after administration of coenzyme than after cyanocobalamin. This may be inter...