Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes.

Publisher: MYJoVE Corporation Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101313252 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1940-087X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1940087X NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Vis Exp Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: [Boston, Mass. : MYJoVE Corporation, 2006]-

Diet* ; Folic Acid Deficiency*/pathology ; Choline Deficiency*/pathology ; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena*; Folic Acid/metabolism ; Choline/metabolism ; Female ; Animals ; Mice

Maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation plays an important role in the neurodevelopment of offspring. One-carbon (1C) metabolism, which centers around folic acid and choline, as well as other B vitamins, plays a key role during the closure of the neural tube of the developing fetus. However, the impact of these maternal nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy on offspring health outcomes after birth remains relatively undefined. Furthermore, maternal dietary deficiencies in folic acid or choline may impact other health outcomes in offspring - making this a valuable model. This protocol aims to outline the procedure for inducing a deficiency in 1C metabolism in female mice through dietary modifications. Females are placed on diets at weaning, up to 2 months of age, for 4-6 weeks prior to mating and remain on diet throughout pregnancy and lactation. Offspring from these females can be evaluated for health outcomes. Females can be used multiple times to generate offspring, and tissues from females can be collected to measure for 1C metabolite measurements. This protocol provides an overview of how to induce maternal dietary deficiencies in folic acid or choline to study offspring health outcomes.

935E97BOY8 (Folic Acid)
N91BDP6H0X (Choline)

Date Created: 20240715 Date Completed: 20240717 Latest Revision: 20240718

20240718

10.3791/66827

39007568