title: Effect of paternal folate deficiency on placental folate content and folate receptor α expression in rats.
abstract: We investigated the effect of paternal folate status on folate content and expression of the folate transporter folate receptor α (FRα) in rat placental tissues. Rats were mated after males were fed a diet containing 0 mg of folic acid/kg of diet (paternal folate-deficient, PD) or 8 mg folic acid/kg of diet (paternal folate-supplemented, PS) for 4 weeks. At 20 days of gestation, the litter size, placental weight, and fetal weight were measured, and placental folate content (n = 8/group) and expression of FRα (n = 10/group) were analyzed by microbiological assay and Western blot analysis, respectively. Although there was no difference observed in litter size or fetal weight, but significant reduction (10%) in the weight of the placenta was observed in the PD group compared to that in the PS group. In the PD group, placental folate content was significantly lower (by 35%), whereas FRα expression was higher (by 130%) compared to the PS group. Our results suggest that paternal folate status plays a critical role in regulating placental folate metabolism and transport.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Science and Food Management, Ewha Womans University, 11-1 Daehyun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-750, Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yun Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Ki Nam
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tsunenobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Namsoo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chang