Nutr Res Pract.  2013 Aug;7(4):281-286.

Effects of parental folate deficiency on the folate content, global DNA methylation, and expressions of FRalpha, IGF-2 and IGF-1R in the postnatal rat liver

• Mejos KK
• Kim HW
• Lim EM
• Chang N

Abstract

We examined the effect of parental folate deficiency on the folate content, global DNA methylation, folate receptor-alpha (FRalpha), insulin-like-growth factor-2 (IGF-2) and -1 receptor (IGF-1R) in the liver and plasma homocysteine in the postnatal rat. Male and female rats were randomly fed a folic acid-deficient (paternal folate-deficient, PD and maternal folate-deficient, MD), or folic acid-supplemented diet (paternal folate-supplemented, PS and maternal-folate-supplemented, MS) for four weeks. They were mated and grouped accordingly: PSxMS, PSxMD, PDxMS, and PDxMD. Pups were killed on day 21 of lactation. The hepatic folate content was markedly reduced in the PDxMD and PSxMD and PDxMS as compared with the PSxMS group. The hepatic global DNA methylation was decreased in the PDxMS and PSxMD groups as much as in the PDxMD group, and all the three groups were significantly lower as compared to the PSxMS group. There were no significant differences in the hepatic FRalpha, IGF-2 and IGF-1R expressions among the groups. Positive correlations were found between the hepatic folate content and global DNA methylation and protein expressions of FRalpha, IGF-2 and IGF-1R, whereas an inverse correlation was found between hepatic folate content and plasma homocysteine level in the 3-week-old rat pup. The results of this study show that both paternal and maternal folate deficiency at mating can influence the folate content and global DNA methylation in the postnatal rat liver.

Keyword

Postnatal liver; folate content; global DNA methylation; FRalpha; IGF-2

MeSH Terms

Animals
Diet
DNA
DNA Methylation
Female
Folic Acid
Homocysteine
Humans
Insulin-Like Growth Factor II
Lactation
Liver
Male
Parents
Plasma
Rats
DNA
Folic Acid
Homocysteine
Insulin-Like Growth Factor II

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