Enrichment of trimethyl histone 3 lysine 4 in the Dlk1 and Grb10 genes affects pregnancy outcomes due to dietary manipulation of excess folic acid and low vitamin B12.

The aberrant expression of placental imprinted genes due to epigenetic alterations during pregnancy can impact fetal development. We investigated the impact of dietary modification of low vitamin B12 with varying doses of folic acid on the epigenetic control of imprinted genes and fetal development using a transgenerational model of C57BL/6J mice. The animals were kept on four distinct dietary combinations based on low vitamin B12 levels and modulated folic acid, mated in the F0 generation within each group.

Association of Altered Ratio of Maternal Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 during Pregnancy with Newborn Birth Weight, Head Circumference, and Chest Circumference.

Objective: This study evaluated the effect of an altered ratio of maternal RBC folate (MRF) to serum vitamin B12 (MB12) on pregnancy and newborn outcomes.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from pregnant women and the umbilical cord at the time of delivery. Estimations of RBC folate and serum vitamin B12 from maternal and cord blood samples and total homocysteine (HCY) were performed.

High dietary folate and low vitamin B12 in parental diet disturbs the epigenetics of imprinted genes MEST and PHLDA2 in mice placenta.

To elucidate the dietary effects of vitamin B12 and folic acid on fetal and placental epigenetics, different dietary combinations of folic acid and low vitamin B12 (four groups) were fed to the animals (C57BL/6 mice), and mating was carried out within each group in the F0 generation. After weaning for 3 weeks in the F1 generation each group is divided into two sub-groups, while one group of mice was continued on the same diet (sustained group), the other was shifted to a normal diet (transient group) for 6-8 weeks (F1). Mating was carried out again within each group, and on day 20 of gestation, the maternal placenta (F1) and fetal tissues (F2) were isolated.

Pre-natal dietary imbalance of folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiency adversely impacts placental development and fetal growth.

Introduction: The common practice of supplementing folic acid during pregnancy and the absence of such guidelines for vitamin B12 lead to an imbalance of these vitamins, especially in developing countries like India, where many women are vitamin B12 deficient.

Methods: The present study was designed to explore the effect of low vitamin B12 in combination with different levels of folic acid in the parental diet on fetal growth parameters and maternal reproductive performance in a transgenerational manner. The reversibility of these effects was studied by shifting the mice to a regular diet in the F1 generation in the case of transient groups and continued on the same diet in the sustained groups after the dietary exposure in the F0 generation.

Altered dietary ratio of folic acid and vitamin B during pregnancy influences the expression of imprinted H19/IGF2 locus in C57BL/6 mice.

Maternal folic acid and vitamin B (B) status during pregnancy influence fetal growth. This study elucidated the effect of altered dietary ratio of folic acid and B on the regulation of H19/IGF2 locus in C57BL/6 mice. Female mice were fed diets with nine combinations of folic acid and B for 4 weeks.

Different dietary combinations of folic acid and vitamin B12 in parental diet results in epigenetic reprogramming of IGF2R and KCNQ1OT1 in placenta and fetal tissues in mice.

Genomic imprinting is important for mammalian development and its dysregulation can cause various developmental defects and diseases. The study evaluated the effects of different dietary combinations of folic acid and B12 on epigenetic regulation of IGF2R and KCNQ1OT1 ncRNA in C57BL/6 mice model. Female mice were fed diets with nine combinations of folic acid and B12 for 4 weeks.

Circulating Cell-Free Nucleic Acids as Epigenetic Biomarkers in Precision Medicine.

The circulating cell-free nucleic acids (ccfNAs) are a mixture of single- or double-stranded nucleic acids, released into the blood plasma/serum by different tissues via apoptosis, necrosis, and secretions. Under healthy conditions, ccfNAs originate from the hematopoietic system, whereas under various clinical scenarios, the concomitant tissues release ccfNAs into the bloodstream. These ccfNAs include DNA, RNA, microRNA (miRNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), fetal DNA/RNA, and mitochondrial DNA/RNA, and act as potential biomarkers in various clinical conditions.

Effect of imbalance in folate and vitamin B12 in maternal/parental diet on global methylation and regulatory miRNAs.

DNA methylation, a central component of the epigenetic network is altered in response to nutritional influences. In one-carbon cycle, folate acts as a one-carbon carrier and vitamin B12 acts as co-factor for the enzyme methionine synthase. Both folate and vitamin B12 are the important regulators of DNA methylation which play an important role in development in early life.

Effects of altered maternal folate and vitamin B on neurobehavioral outcomes in F1 male mice.

Maternal folate and vitamin B status during pregnancy may influence development of central nervous system (CNS) in the offspring. Very little attention has been paid to understand the combined effects of both the vitamins during pregnancy. The present study was designed to evaluate the biochemical and behavioral outcomes following alterations in folate and vitamin B levels in C57BL/6 mice.