Methylcobalamin promotes proliferation and migration and inhibits apoptosis of C2C12 cells via the Erk1/2 signaling pathway

•Methylcobalamin activated the Erk1/2 signaling pathway in C2C12 cells.•Methylcobalamin promoted the proliferation and migration in C2C12 cells.•C2C12 cell apoptosis during differentiation was inhibited by methylcobalamin. Methylcobalamin (MeCbl) is a vitamin B12 analog that has some positive effects on peripheral nervous disorders. Although some previous studies revealed the effects of MeCbl on neurons, its effect on the muscle, which is the final target of motoneuron axons, remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to determine the effect of MeCbl on the muscle. We found that MeCbl promoted the proliferation and migration of C2C12 myoblasts in vitro and that these effects are mediated by the Erk1/2 signaling pathway without affecting the activity of the Akt signaling pathway. We also demonstrated that MeCbl inhibits C2C12 cell apoptosis during differentiation. Our results suggest that MeCbl has beneficial effects on the muscle in vitro. MeCbl administration may provide a novel therapeutic approach for muscle injury or degenerating muscle after denervation.