Effects of Maternal Folic Acid Nutritional Status on the Expression of Myelin Basic Protein in the Offspring.
- Author:
Eun Hye CHAE
1
;
Soo Jung KIM
;
Hwa Young LEE
;
Namsoo CHANG
Author Information
1. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 120-750, Korea. nschang@ewha.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
myelin basic protein (MBP );
folate;
SAM/SAH ratio;
spinal cord
- MeSH:
Blotting, Western;
Central Nervous System;
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid;
Diet;
Female;
Folic Acid Deficiency;
Folic Acid*;
Homocysteine;
Humans;
Lactation;
Myelin Basic Protein*;
Myelin Sheath*;
Nutritional Status*;
Plasma;
Pregnancy;
Radioimmunoassay;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley;
Spinal Cord;
Weaning
- From:The Korean Journal of Nutrition
2007;40(2):130-137
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Myelin basic protein (MBP ), a major structural protein of the myelin, is thought to be important for the maintenance of myelin in the central nervous system (CNS ). We investigated the effect of maternal folic acid nutritional status on the folate level and the synthesis of MBP in the offspring. In order to test this hypothesis, female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either folic acid sufficient (8 mg/kg diet )or deficient (0 mg/kg diet )diet from 2 wks prior to the mating throughout the entire pregnancy, lactation and weaning period. We examined plasma folate level by the radioimmunoassay and homo-cysteine level by HPLC, respectively. The MBP expression was measured by the western blot analysis. The maternal folic acid deficiency decreased plasma folate level with a concomitant increase in plasma homocysteine level in their offspring. The maternal folic acid deficiency decreased hepatic levels of SAM and SAM/SAH ratio with a concomitant increase in hepatic levels of SAH and the MBP expression of spinal cord in their offspring at 7 wks of age. These results suggest that maternal folic acid nutritional status affect plasma folate and homocysteine level in their offspring. Moreover, the maternal folic acid deficiency might inhibit the MBP expression of the spinal cord and disrupt many other vital CNS reac-tions in their offspring.
