Maternal dietary choline deficiency alters angiogenesis in fetal mouse hippocampus

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Jul 20;107(29):12834-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0914328107. Epub 2010 Jul 12.

Abstract

We examined whether maternal dietary choline modulates angiogenesis in fetal brain. Pregnant C57BL/6 mice were fed either a choline-deficient (CD), control (CT), or choline-supplemented diet (CS) from days 12 to 17 (E12-17) of pregnancy and then fetal brains were studied. In CD fetal hippocampus, proliferation of endothelial cells (EC) was decreased by 32% (p < 0.01 vs. CT or CS) while differentiated EC clusters (expressing factor VIII related antigen (RA)) increased by 25% (p < 0.01 vs. CT or CS). These changes were associated with > 25% decrease in the number of blood vessels in CD fetal hippocampus (p < 0.01 vs. CT and CS), with no change in total cross-sectional area of these blood vessels. Expression of genes for the angiogenic signals derived from both endothelial and neuronal progenitor cells (NPC) was increased in CD fetal hippocampus VEGF C (Vegfc), 2.0-fold, p < 0.01 vs. CT and angiopoietin 2 (Angpt2), 2.1-fold, (p < 0.01 vs. CT)). Similar increased expression was observed in NPC isolated from E14 fetal mouse brains and exposed to low (5 microM), CT (70 microM), or high choline (280 microM) media for 72 h (low choline caused a 9.7-fold increase in relative gene expression of Vegfc (p < 0.001 vs. CT and high) and a 3.4-fold increase in expression of Angpt2, (p < 0.05 vs. CT and high). ANGPT2 protein was increased 42.2% (p < 0.01). Cytosine-phosphate-guanine dinucleotide islands in the proximity of the promoter areas of Vegfc and Angpt2 were hypomethylated in low choline NPC compared to CT NPC (p < 0.01). We conclude that maternal dietary choline intake alters angiogenesis in the developing fetal hippocampus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Blood Vessels / embryology
  • Blood Vessels / pathology
  • Cell Count
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Choline Deficiency / embryology*
  • Choline Deficiency / metabolism
  • DNA Methylation
  • Diet*
  • Endothelial Cells / cytology
  • Endothelial Cells / metabolism
  • Female
  • Fetus / blood supply*
  • Fetus / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Hippocampus / blood supply*
  • Hippocampus / metabolism
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Liver / pathology
  • Maternal-Fetal Relations*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neovascularization, Physiologic* / genetics
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Phosphorylcholine / metabolism
  • Pregnancy
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Stem Cells / cytology
  • Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Transcription Initiation Site

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inducing Agents
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Phosphorylcholine