Maternal Folic Acid-Deficient Diet Causes Congenital Malformations in the Mouse Eye

作者：Maestro de las Casas Carmen^*; Perez Miguelsanz Juliana; Lopez Gordillo Yamila; Maldonado Estela; Partearroyo Teresa; Varela Moreiras Gregorio; Martinez Alvarez Concepcion

来源：Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology , 2013, 97(9): 587-596.

DOI：10.1002/bdra.23176

• folate
• folic acid deficiency
• eye
• development
• malformation
• TGF-beta 2
• TGF-beta RII
• mouse

BACKGROUNDThe eye is a very complex structure derived from the neural tube, surface ectoderm, and migratory mesenchyme from a neural crest origin. Because structures that evolve from the neural tube may be affected by a folate/folic acid (FA) deficiency, the aim of this work was to investigate whether a maternal folic acid-deficient diet may cause developmental alterations in the mouse eye. %26lt;br%26gt;METHODSFemale C57BL/6J mice (8 weeks old) were assigned into two different folic acid groups for periods ranging between 2 and 16 weeks. Animals were killed at gestation day 17. Hepatic folate was analyzed, and the eyes from 287 fetuses were macroscopically studied, sectioned and immunolabeled with anti-transforming growth factor (TGF)-2 and anti-TGF-RII. %26lt;br%26gt;RESULTSMice exposed to a FA-deficient diet exhibited numerous eye macroscopic anomalies, such as anophthalmia and microphthalmia. Microscopically, the eye was the most affected organ (43.7% of the fetuses). The highest incidence of malformations occurred from the 8th week onward. A statistically significant linear association between the number of maternal weeks on the FA-deficient diet and embryonic microscopic eye malformations was observed. The optic cup derivatives and structures forming the eye anterior segment showed severe abnormalities. In addition, TGF-2 and TGF-RII expression in the eye was also altered. %26lt;br%26gt;CONCLUSIONThis study suggests that an adequate folic acid/folate status plays a key role in the formation of ocular tissues and structures, whereas a vitamin deficiency is negatively associated with a normal eye development even after a short-term exposure.

• 出版日期2013-9