AUTHOR=Paulin Fernanda Viana , Goelzer Leandro Steinhorst , Müller Paulo de Tarso TITLE=Vitamin B12 Supplementation and NT-proBNP Levels in COPD Patients: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized and Controlled Study in Rehabilitation JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2020 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.00740 DOI=10.3389/fnins.2020.00740 ISSN=1662-453X ABSTRACT=Purpose There is evidence of complex interaction between vitamin B12 (vB12) level, hyperhomocysteinemia, and natriuretic peptide secretion. Exercise training could also modulate such interaction. In this secondary analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial performed in a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rehabilitation setting, our primary objective was to investigate the interaction between vB12 supplementation, exercise training and changes in NT-proBNP levels after eight weeks of intervention. Secondary objectives were to explore the correlations between acute changes in NT-proBNP levels with (i) acute exercise and (ii) oxygen uptake (V´O2) kinetics during rest-to-exercise transition. Methods Thirty-two subjects with COPD were randomized into four groups: Rehabilitation+vB12(n=8), Rehabilitation(n=8), vB12(n=8) or Maltodextrin(n=8). They were evaluated at baseline and after eight weeks, during resting and immediately after maximal exercise constant work-rate tests (Tlim), for NT-proBNP plasmatic levels. Results After interaction analysis, the supplementation with vB12 significantly changed the time course of NT-proBNP responses during treatment (p=0.048). However, the final analysis could not support a significant change in NT-proBNP levels owing to high-intensity constant work-rate exercise (p-value >0.05). There was a statistically significant correlation between V´O2 time constant and ∆NT-proBNP values (Tlim – rest) at baseline (p=0.049) and two months later (p=0.015), considering all subjects (n=32). Conclusions We conclude that vB12 supplementation could modulate NT-proBNP secretion. Moreover, possibly, the slower the initial V´O2 adjustments toward a steady-state during rest-to-exercise transitions, the more severe the ventricular chamber volume/pressure stress recruitment, expressed through higher NT-proBNP secretion in subjects with larger V´O2 time constants, despite unchanged final acute exercise-induced neurohormone secretion.