Previous research revealed a high prevalence of low serum B12 concentrations in rural Mexican children. This study was designed to assess the prevalence and causes of deficiency, including low B12 intake, gastritis and Helicobacter pylori (HP) in rural Mexican women. Blood was collected from 191 women in rural Queretaro who were not taking B12 supplements and medication for gastritis. Blood samples were analyzed for serum B12 and folate, gastrin, pepsinogen I and HP antibodies. Mean age, weight and height were 36±12 y, 66±15 kg and 1.5±0.6 m. Mean serum vitamin B12 was 210±117 pmol/L, 28% had deficiency (serum B12 <150 pmol/L) and 31% had marginal status (221 pmol/L). Only 1% had low serum folate (<10 nmol/L). Serum B12 was positively correlated with age (r=0.298, P<0.001). Mean gastrin was 52±99 pmol/L and 22% of women had elevated values (>47 pmol/L) indicating gastric inflammation. Moreover, women with B12 deficiency had significantly lower serum gastrin than those with marginal or normal status (P<0.04). Mean serum PGI was 58±33 ug/L and was low (<25 ug/L) in only 9% of subjects indicating that moderated or severe corpus atrophy was uncommon. Most women (70%) tested positive for HP antibodies. HP was associated with lower PGI but not lower serum B12 or elevated gastrin. We conclude that vitamin B12 depletion is very common in these rural Mexican women and associated to gastric inflammation. Funded by UCMEXUS, CONCYTEQ and USDA,WHNRC.

The objective of this cross‐sectional study was to evaluate the impact of diet on homocysteine (Hcy), vitamin B12 and folate status in women living in Queretaro (central Mexico). Average mean values for age, weight, height and BMI were 37.6±10.3 ys, 68.4 ± 14.6 kg, and 151.6±5.2 cm and 29.8±6.0 kg/m2, respectively. Mean concentrations of serum vitamin B12, folate and Hcy were 331.5±209.9 pmol/L, 21.1±8.2 nmol/L and 10.9±3.2 nmol/L. Vitamin B12 deficiency was observed in 11.4% of the participants. In addition 21.2% presented marginal status. Only 5.4% of the women were folate deficient. Prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia was 32.6%. B12 deficient women had inadequate intakes of vitamin B12 in about 50% (<EAR). Increase in Hcy was related to dietary intake and serum concentrations of vitamin B12. Being vitamin B12 deficient increase 2.8 times the risk of presenting hyperhomocysteinemia. Dietary folate was no related to Hcy, but serum values were. Vitamin B12 deficiency as a result of low dietary intake was the most important factor associated to high Hcy in blood in these Mexican women.

Resveratrol (RSV) is a polyphenol classified as a phytoalexin, which occurs naturally and in response to a mechanical injury or biotic and abiotic factors. RSV has been shown to reduce cell viability of pathogenic organisms, probably through inhibition of the electron transport chain (ETC) and F1F0‐ATPase (which is referred to as oxidative phosphorylation in general), generating a decreased synthesis of energy, causing, in turn, a mitochondrial dysfunction. Interest in RSV has increased in recent years due to the beneficial health effects shown by this stilbene. However, such beneficial effects have been observed only at high concentrations of glucose or lipids, without considering those with adequate or low consumption in which the beneficial effect could be neglected and even show toxic effects. Therefore, the objective of the investigation was to determine whether the amount of glucose modulates the effects of RSV on mitochondrial dysfunction in mouse hepatocytes (Hepa1c1c7). Hepa1c1c7 cells were supplemented with both RSV (0.1 to 1000 μM) and glucose (0.5 to 30 mM). According to the MTT assay, at high concentration of RSV (1000 μM) cell viability significantly decreased by 91% at low glucose concentrations (0.5 to 1 mM), while normal glucose concentration (5 mM) decreased cell viability by 63%, relative to control cells. Furthermore, RSV had no effect on cell viability at high glucose concentrations (20 and 30 mM); this indicates that there is a RSV‐dependent relationship with the energetic state of the cell. Subsequently, mitochondrial dysfunction was determined using membrane potential, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and ADP/ATP ratio. In the ROS production experiment, a decrease in ROS release was observed at the highest glucose concentrations (10, 20 and 30 mM) in cells supplemented with 10, 100 and 1000 μM of RSV, which indicates that RSV inhibits ROS overproduction in a dose‐dependent manner, demonstrating its antioxidant effect. Interestingly, under energy restriction concentrations (glucose 0.5 and 1 mM) at concentrations greater than 10 μM of RSV, an increase of ROS release was observed, which corroborates the fact that under restraint energy RSV exerts a toxic effect. Besides, an increase in both mitochondrial membrane potential and ADP/ATP ratio was observed; therefore, it was suggested that RSV is interrupting the flow of electrons, altering the CTE, with a subsequent decrease in ATP production. Altogether, these data support the hypothesis that the toxic effects of RSV are dependent on the cellular energy restriction condition as a result of mitochondrial dysfunction.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.