Effects of Folic Acid and Homocysteine on the Morphogenesis of Mouse Cephalic Neural Crest Cells In Vitro

Folate deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia have long been associated with developmental anomalies, particularly neural tube defects and neurocristopathies—a group of diverse disorders that result from defective growth, differentiation, and migration of neural crest (NC) cells. However, the exact mechanisms by which homocysteine (Hcys) and/or folate deficiencies disrupt NC development are still poorly understood in mammals. In this work, we employed a well-defined culture system to investigate the effects of Hcys and folic acid (FA) supplementation on the morphogenetic processes of murine NC cells in vitro. We demonstrated that Hcys increases outgrowth and proliferation of cephalic NC cells and impairs their differentiation into smooth muscle cells. In addition, we showed that FA alone does not directly affect the developmental dynamics of the cephalic NC cells but is able to prevent the Hcys-induced effects. Our results, therefore, suggest that elevated Hcys levels per se cause dysmorphogenesis of the cephalic NC and might contribute to neurocristopathies in mammalian embryos.     

叶酸调控对高尿酸血症大鼠肠道微生物的影响

探究叶酸对高尿酸血症大鼠肠道微生物的影响,为治疗高尿酸血症提供新思路。将SPF 级雄性大鼠分为空白对照组、模型组和叶酸组,采集大鼠的粪便样本,采用16S rRNA高通量测序技术分析肠道微生物的多样性、群落组成以及结构的变化。研究结果显示,Alpha多样性和Beta多样性分析表明,空白对照组、模型组和叶酸组大鼠粪便中微生物多样性和群落组成存在明显差异,其中模型组大鼠粪便微生物具有较高的物种丰度和种群差异性。对门分类水平上的物种丰度分析发现,微生物种群主要由厚壁菌门（Firmicutes）和拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes）组成;对属分类水平上的物种丰度分析发现,微生物种群由乳杆菌属（Lactobacillus）、Muribaculaceae、拟杆菌属（Bacteroides）、柯林斯菌属（Collinsella）、梭菌属（Clostridium）、罗姆布茨菌（Romboutsia）、劳特氏菌属（Blautia）和毛螺菌科NK4A136群（Lachnospiraceae NK4A136_group）等菌属组成,与空白对照组相比,模型组中Muribaculaceae和柯林斯菌属的丰度显著升高,乳杆菌属、梭菌属、罗姆布茨菌和毛螺菌科的丰度显著下降;叶酸组中Muribaculaceae、拟杆菌属、柯林斯菌属和劳特氏菌属的丰度显著升高,梭菌属、罗姆布茨菌和毛螺菌科的丰度显著下降。研究探索了叶酸干预调控高尿酸血症大鼠肠道微生物的变化,为治疗高尿酸血症提供参考。     

同型半胱氨酸与H型高血压左室肥厚的相关性及马来酸依那普利叶酸片的干预效果

目的:探讨同型半胱氨酸(Hcy)与H型高血压左室肥厚的相关性及马来酸依那普利叶酸片的干预效果。方法:选取达州市中心医院于2015年8月-2017年7月收治的450例原发性高血压患者,根据血浆Hcy水平将患者分为Hcy正常组(n=134)和H型高血压组(n=316),比较Hcy正常组、H型高血压组患者超声心动图检测指标的差异,并对Hcy水平与左心室结构改变进行相关性分析。同时将316例H型高血压患者随机分为观察组(n=158)和对照组(n=158),其中对照组患者给予马来酸依那普利片治疗,观察组给予马来酸依那普利叶酸片治疗。两组均连续治疗24个月。分别于治疗前、治疗后6个月、12个月、24个月检测血压、血浆Hcy和左心室质量指数(LVMI)水平,观察脑卒中及药物不良反应发生情况。结果:H型高血压组左室收缩末内径(LVESD)、左室舒张末内径(LVEDD)、左室后壁厚度(LVPWT)、室间隔厚度(IVST)、左心室质量(LVM)、LVMI均较Hcy正常组增大(P0.01)。血浆Hcy与LVPWT、IVST、LVM及LVMI呈正相关(r=0.652、0.526、0.736、0.786,均P0.05);治疗后6个月、12个月、24个月,观察组与对照组的H型高血压患者收缩压(SBP)、舒张压(DBP)水平及观察组Hcy、LVMI均较治疗前降低(P0.05),且观察组SBP、DBP、Hcy及LVMI均低于同时间点的对照组(P0.05)。两组均未见严重药物不良反应发生,观察组脑卒中发生4例(2.53%)较对照组12例(7.59%)明显减少,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:血浆Hcy水平是影响原发性高血压患者左心室肥厚的危险因素;马来酸依那普利叶酸片干预H型高血压患者后可显著降低血压、血浆Hcy水平,改善患者左心室肥厚程度,降低脑卒中发生率。     

Folic Acid in Folate-deficient Patients with Epilepsy

A double-blind trial using folic acid 15 mg. daily and identical placebo was carried out in 51 epileptic patients having a serum folate level below 3·6 ng./ml. Treatment was for a minimum of six months and in 41 patients was for more than one year. There were no significant changes in the frequency of seizures, behaviour, and personality, or in a number of cognitive functions.     

氨基酸分析仪测定饲料添加剂——叶酸的方法

用６ｍｏｌ／Ｌ盐酸于１１０℃条件下水解饲料添加剂——叶酸,使之游离出谷氨酸,用氢氧化钠中和调节ｐＨ到２,氨基酸分析仪测定谷氨酸含量,经与标准叶酸水解样品比较,计算出叶酸的纯度。该方法重现性好,变异系数ＣＶ＝０．０８％,平均回收率为９８．３４％,浓度与峰面积呈线性相关,相关系数ｒ＝０．９９８７,可随氨基酸分析同时进行,不需改变任何分析条件。