Influences of maternal B₁₂ and methionine intake during gestation and lactation on testicular development of offspring in rats.

The influence of maternal vitamin B₁₂ malnutrition on testicular development of offspring was examined using soy protein-based B₁₂-deficient diets with or without 0.5% DL-methionine supplementation. Dams were fed the B₁₂-deficient diet throughout gestation and lactation, whereas dams in a control group were fed a control diet which contained cyanocobalamin in the B₁₂-deficient diet without methionine.

Effects of experimental leg length discrepancies on body posture and dental occlusion.

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the effects of experimental leg length discrepancies on body posture and dental occlusion. Thirty asymptomatic subjects (15 males and 15 females, ages 19-33, mean age 25.6 years) were included in this study and randomly assigned to one of two groups based on a table of random numbers.

Examination of lower facial skin movements during left- and right-side chewing.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to temporally and spatially analyze movements of lower facial skin during left- and right-side chewing in order to examine, from the viewpoint of kinematics, whether functional differences existed between these movements on the two sides.

Methods: Ten healthy young subjects (aged 24-32 years, mean age 26.7 years) were included in this study.

Change of epigenetic control of cystathionine beta-synthase gene expression through dietary vitamin B12 is not recovered by methionine supplementation.

Background/aims: Vitamin B12 (B-12) is an essential cofactor for methionine synthase, and methionine is critical for the methylation of various biological molecules including DNA. Whether changes in B-12 levels can alter specific gene expression through DNA methylation and whether dietary methionine has any effect on general DNA methylation status still remains controversial.

Methods: We raised severely B-12-deficient rats as well severely-B-12 deficient rats but supplemented with 5% methionine.