What the practicing nurse should know about thiamine.

Thiamine (vitamin B1) is an essential nutritional component that acts as a coenzyme in the oxidative decarboxylation of alpha-keto acids. It also serves as the connection between the glycolytic cycle and the high energy-producing Krebs (or citric acid) cycle. Unlike other B vitamins, it activates the guanylate cyclase/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP) system but not the adenylate cyclase system. The active coenzyme, thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) is an antiberiberi substance. Thiamine itself is a pharmacologic antagonist of acetylcholine, which may explain the nerve lesions caused by thiamine deficiency. Liver, pork, yeast, and rice-polishings are rich in thiamine; however, several antithiamine factors are also found in common foods. For example, a thermal labile factor in the viscera of fresh water fish and tea leaves antagonizes thiamine.