Clinical Studies on Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)

The isolation (1), synthesis (2) and physiological significance (3 to 9) of pyridoxine1 in animal nutrition have recently been established. Clinical studies have not been very extensive. Spies and his collaborators (10) have noted that certain residual symptoms (i.e., insomnia, irri- tability, weakness, difficulty in walking and ab- dominal pain) in treated pellagrins responded to pyridoxine therapy. In a case of arsenical neu- ritis, Vilter (11) commented on the rapid remis- sion when pyridoxine was added to the already instituted therapy. He also observed an exacer- bation when pyridoxine was discontinued. Smith and Martin (12) successfully treated three out of four patients suffering with cheilosis. In the fourth patient the addition of liver extract brought relief. These investigators state that deficiency of either riboflavin or pyridoxine may be the etio- logical factor primarily responsible for cheilosis or that both together are necessary in maintaining the integrity of the mucocutaneous junction. An- topol (13) noted improvement in a group of patients with pseudohypertrophic muscular dys- trophy when pyridoxine was administered. Les- sening in rigidity and improvement in muscle strength were noted in a group of patients suffer- ing with Parkinsonism after the use of pyridoxine (14, 15). This improvement was observed par- ticularly in early cases of senile Parkinson's disease.