[Effects of folic acid on neural cell apoptosis and Notch1 mRNA expression in rats with brain infarction].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of folic acid (FA) on neural cell apoptosis and Notch1 mRNA expression in the ischemic brain tissues of rats with brain infarction.


METHODS
Forty-eight male SD(Sprague-Dawley)rats were randomly separated into 4 groups according to body mass: Sham operation (SO), middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), MCAO + low dose folic acid (MCAO + LFA), and MCAO + high dose folic acid (MCAO + HFA). MCAO was made by operation with middle cerebral artery occlusion method except for SO, and the rats were executed at the 14th d after MCAO. Serum folic acid contents were measured with immune chemiluminescence before and 28d after folic acid supplementation and 14d after MCAO. Ischemic brain tissues neural cell apoptosis was measured with TUNEL method, Notch1 mRNA expression was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization at the 14th d after the rats with MCAO.


RESULTS
In comparison with MCAO, the rates of neural cell apoptosis were more lower, the concentrations of serum folic acid and the fluorescence intensity of Notch1 mRNA were more higher than those in both MCAO + LFA and MCAO + HFA after FA supplementation (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The rates of neural cell apoptosis induced by FA associated with the increase of Notch1 mRNA expression.
Yang
Yunxia
Y
School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China. yyx_0115@163.com
Huang
Guowei
G
Zhang
Xumei
X
Liu
Huan
H
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051881:Receptor, Notch1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
C497763:Notch1 protein, rat; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051881:Receptor, Notch1; D005492:Folic Acid