Folic acid (FA) supplementation is important during pregnancy to avoid malformations in the offspring. However, it is unknown if it can affect the offspring throughout their lives. To evaluate the offspring, female mother rats (Dam’s) were separated into 5 groups: Four groups received the AIN-93 diet, divided into control and FA (5, 10 and 50 mg/kg), and an additional group received a FA deficient diet, the diet was performed during pregnancy and lactation. We evaluated the female offspring of these Dam’s (at 2-and 18-months-old). The aged offspring fed with FA deficient diet presented habituation, spatial and aversive memory impairment and the FA maternal supplementation prevented this. The natural aging caused an increase in the TNF-α and IL-1β levels in the hippocampus from 18-months-old offspring. FA maternal supplementation was able to prevent the increase of these cytokines. IL-4 levels decreased in the prefrontal cortex from aged control rats and FA prevented it. FA deficiency decreased the levels of IL-4 in the hippocampus of the young offspring. In addition, natural aging and FA deficiency decreased BDNF levels in the hippocampus and NGF levels in the prefrontal cortex and FA supplementation prevent it. Thus, the present study shows for the first time the effect of FA maternal supplementation on memory, cytokines and neurotrophins in the aged offspring.
Background: Vitamin D de ciency is associated with an increased risk of dementia. An association between vitamin D de ciency and subjective cognitive complaints in geriatric patients has been reported.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the neurochemical and behavioral effects of vitamin D3 (1α-25 Dihydroxyvitamin D3) on 2-, 6-, 13-, 22-, and 31-month-old male Wistar rats.Research Methods & Procedures: The animals were supplemented with vitamin D at doses of 42 IU/kg and 420 IU/kg for 21 days. The radial maze test was performed to evaluate spatial memory. After the behavioral test, the frontal cortex and hippocampus were dissected for the enzyme immunoassay analyses to measure cytokine levels (TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10).Results: Our results showed that vitamin D supplementation was able to reverse the spatial memory impairment at the supplemented doses (42 and 420 IU/kg) in 6-, 13-, and 22month-old animals and at a dose of 420 IU/kg in 31-monthold animals. Conclusion: Our results suggest vitamin D has a modulatory action on pro-and anti-in ammatory cytokines, since older animals showed increased cytokine levels than the 2-month-old animals. The lower dose (42 IU/kg) was able to regulate both pro-and anti-in ammatory cytokines in the hippocampus. Our results suggest that vitamin D may exert an immunomodulating effect on aging
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