Maternal folic acid deficiency stimulates neural cell apoptosis via miR-34a associated with Bcl-2 in the rat foetal brain

Int J Dev Neurosci. 2019 Feb:72:6-12. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2018.11.002. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Abstract

Embryonic development is a critical period wherein brain neurons are generated and organized. Maternal dietary folate, a cofactor in one-carbon metabolism, modulates neurogenesis and apoptosis in foetal brain neurons. We hypothesized that aberrant neuronal apoptosis may affect the development of the central nervous system during maternal folic acid deficiency, with evident effects because maternal folic acid deficiency modulates the microRNA-34a associated with Bcl-2 pathway during embryonic development. Four-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into two groups (10 rats per group): a folate-deficient diet group and a folate-normal diet group. The diets were administered to the rats 60 d before mating, which was continued for the pregnant dams until parturition. Maternal folic acid deficiency increased neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus and the cortex in the offspring. Furthermore, maternal folic acid deficiency increased the ratio of cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3, followed by an increase in caspase-3 activity. Moreover, maternal folic acid deficiency downregulated Bcl-2 and upregulated Bax, and this effect associate with maternal folic acid deficient increases expression of microRNA-34a. Together, the present results indicate that maternal folic acid deficiency stimulates neuronal apoptosis via microRNA-34a associated with Bcl-2 signalling in rat offspring.

Keywords: Apoptosis; Bcl-2; Folate deficiency; Maternal; miR-34a.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Apoptosis / physiology*
  • Brain / embryology
  • Brain / growth & development
  • Brain / pathology*
  • Caspase 3 / metabolism
  • Embryo, Mammalian
  • Female
  • Folic Acid / blood
  • Folic Acid Deficiency / complications*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / physiology
  • In Situ Nick-End Labeling
  • Male
  • Maternal-Fetal Relations
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Neurons / pathology
  • Pregnancy
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein / genetics
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • MIRN34 microRNA, rat
  • MicroRNAs
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • bcl-2-Associated X Protein
  • Folic Acid
  • Caspase 3