Abstract
ObjectivesOur earlier studies have highlighted that an altered one carbon metabolism (vitamin B12, folic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid) is associated with preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is also known to be associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. The current study examines whether maternal folic acid, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation given either individually or in combination can ameliorate the oxidative stress markers in a rat model of pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH).Materials and MethodsPregnant Wistar rats were assigned to control and five treatment groups: PIH; PIH + vitamin B12; PIH + folic acid; PIH + Omega-3 fatty acids and PIH + combined micronutrient supplementation (vitamin B12 + folic acid + omega-3 fatty acids). L-Nitroarginine methylester (L-NAME; 50 mg/kg body weight/day) was used to induce hypertension during pregnancy. Blood Pressure (BP) was recorded during pregnancy and dams were dissected at d20 of gestation.ResultsAnimals from the PIH group demonstrated higher (p<0.01 for both) systolic and diastolic BP; lower (p<0.01) pup weight; higher dam plasma homocysteine (p<0.05) and dam and offspring malondialdehyde (MDA) (p<0.01), lower (p<0.05) placental and offspring liver DHA and higher (p<0.01) tumor necrosis factor–alpha (TNF–ά) levels as compared to control. Individual micronutrient supplementation did not offer much benefit. In contrast, combined supplementation lowered systolic BP, homocysteine, MDA and placental TNF-ά levels in dams and liver MDA and protein carbonyl in the offspring as compared to PIH group.ConclusionKey constituents of one carbon cycle (folic acid, vitamin B12 and DHA) may play a role in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in preeclampsia.
Highlights
Preeclampsia (PE) is widely believed to be of placental origin [1,2] and a common cause of maternal morbidity and mortality [3]
A series of our studies have shown that altered folate, vitamin B12 levels and reduced docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels leads to increased homocysteine and oxidative stress in preeclampsia [38,39]
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure of dams on d19 of gestation The systolic and diastolic Blood Pressure (BP) was similar between groups on d0 of gestation
Summary
Preeclampsia (PE) is widely believed to be of placental origin [1,2] and a common cause of maternal morbidity and mortality [3]. The role of maternal nutrition in influencing the risk of developing preeclampsia is unclear. Some studies suggest that supplementation with nutrients like calcium [5,6] in the treatment of preeclampsia have beneficial effects. On the other hand other studies suggest that dietary supplementation with calcium [7] and dietary intake of magnesium [8] do not aid in reducing the risk of preeclampsia. Maternal vitamins and minerals have been shown to influence angiogenic factors in PE [9]. Higher risk of preeclampsia in women with higher homocysteine and lower folate concentrations and vitamin B12 levels has been reported [10,11,12,13]. Other studies indicate no association of vitamin B12 with preeclampsia [14,15,16]. Further folic acid supplementation studies are inconsistent with some indicating beneficial effects [17,18,19,20] and others indicating no benefits [21,22,23,24]
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