Maternal vitamin C deficiency does not reduce hippocampal volume and beta-tubulin III intensity in prenatal Guinea pigs

TY - JOUR

T1 - Maternal vitamin C deficiency does not reduce hippocampal volume and beta-tubulin III intensity in prenatal Guinea pigs

AU - Hansen, Stine Normann

AU - Schjoldager, Janne Gram

AU - Paidi, Maya Devi

AU - Lykkesfeldt, Jens

AU - Tveden-Nyborg, Pernille

PY - 2016/7/1

Y1 - 2016/7/1

N2 - Marginal vitamin C (vitC) deficiency affects 5% to 10% of adults including subpopulations such as pregnant women and newborns. Animal studies link vitC deficiency to deleterious effects on the developing brain, but exactly how the brain adapts to vitC deficiency and the mechanisms behind the observed deficits remain largely unknown. We hypothesized that vitC deficiency in utero may lead to a decreased neuronal maturation and increased cellular death giving rise to alterations of the hippocampal morphology in a guinea pig model. Brains from prenatal guinea pig pups (n = 9-10 in each group) subjected to either a sufficient (918 mg vitC/kg feed) or deficient (100 mg vitC/kg feed) maternal dietary regimen were assessed with regards to hippocampal volume and β-tubulin isotype III staining intensity at 2 gestational time points (45 and 56). We found a distinct differential regional growth pattern of the hippocampus with a clear effect of gestational age, whereas vitC status did not affect either investigated parameters. Within hippocampal subdivisions, the overall expansion of the hippocampus from gestational day 45 to 56 was found to reside in the dentate gyrus. In conclusion, the present study found that hippocampal volume and β-tubulin isotype III intensity in the prenatal guinea pig were influenced by gestational day but not by maternal vitC intake.

AB - Marginal vitamin C (vitC) deficiency affects 5% to 10% of adults including subpopulations such as pregnant women and newborns. Animal studies link vitC deficiency to deleterious effects on the developing brain, but exactly how the brain adapts to vitC deficiency and the mechanisms behind the observed deficits remain largely unknown. We hypothesized that vitC deficiency in utero may lead to a decreased neuronal maturation and increased cellular death giving rise to alterations of the hippocampal morphology in a guinea pig model. Brains from prenatal guinea pig pups (n = 9-10 in each group) subjected to either a sufficient (918 mg vitC/kg feed) or deficient (100 mg vitC/kg feed) maternal dietary regimen were assessed with regards to hippocampal volume and β-tubulin isotype III staining intensity at 2 gestational time points (45 and 56). We found a distinct differential regional growth pattern of the hippocampus with a clear effect of gestational age, whereas vitC status did not affect either investigated parameters. Within hippocampal subdivisions, the overall expansion of the hippocampus from gestational day 45 to 56 was found to reside in the dentate gyrus. In conclusion, the present study found that hippocampal volume and β-tubulin isotype III intensity in the prenatal guinea pig were influenced by gestational day but not by maternal vitC intake.

U2 - 10.1016/j.nutres.2016.03.004

DO - 10.1016/j.nutres.2016.03.004

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27333961

SN - 0271-5317

VL - 36

SP - 696

EP - 702

JO - Nutrition Research

JF - Nutrition Research

IS - 7

ER -