title: Supplementation with Folic Acid, but Not Creatine, Increases Plasma Betaine, Decreases Plasma Dimethylglycine, and Prevents a Decrease in Plasma Choline in Arsenic-Exposed Bangladeshi Adults.
abstract: Folic acid (FA) supplementation facilitates urinary excretion of arsenic, a human carcinogen. A better understanding of interactions between one-carbon metabolism intermediates may improve the ability to design nutrition interventions that further facilitate arsenic excretion.
  
  
  
  The objective was to determine if FA and/or creatine supplementation increase choline and betaine and decrease dimethylglycine (DMG).
  
  
  
  We conducted a secondary analysis of the Folic Acid and Creatine Trial, a randomized trial in arsenic-exposed Bangladeshi adults (n = 605, aged 24-55 y, 50.3% male) who received arsenic-removal water filters. We examined treatment effects of FA and/or creatine supplementation on plasma choline, betaine, and DMG concentrations, measured by LC-tandem mass spectrometry at baseline and at week 12. Group comparisons were between 1) 400 and 800 μg FA/d (FA400 and FA800, respectively) compared with placebo, 2) creatine (3 g/d) compared with placebo, and 3) creatine plus FA400 compared with FA400.
  
  
  
  Choline decreased in the placebo group (-6.6%; 95% CI: -10.2%, -2.9%) but did not change in the FA groups (FA400: 2.5%; 95% CI: -0.9%, 6.1%; FA800: 1.4%; 95% CI: -2.5%, 5.5%; P < 0.05). Betaine did not change in the placebo group (-3.5%; 95% CI: -9.3%, 2.6%) but increased in the FA groups (FA400: 14.1%; 95% CI: 9.4%, 19.0%; FA800: 13.0%; 95% CI: 7.2%, 19.1%; P < 0.01). The decrease in DMG was greater in the FA groups (FA400: -26.7%; 95% CI: -30.9%, -22.2%; FA800: -27.8%; 95% CI: -31.8%, -23.4%) than in the placebo group (-12.3%; 95% CI: -18.1%, -6.2%; P < 0.01). The percentage change in choline, betaine, and DMG did not differ between creatine treatment arms and their respective reference groups.
  
  
  
  Supplementation for 12 wk with FA, but not creatine, increases plasma betaine, decreases plasma DMG, and prevents a decrease in plasma choline in arsenic-exposed Bangladeshi adults. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01050556.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Epidemiology, mh2825@cumc.columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Megan N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Sciences, and.
authors.forename: Caitlin G
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-4935-9298
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Howe
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY;
authors.forename: Xinhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; and.
authors.forename: Marie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Caudill
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; and.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Malysheva
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Sciences, and.
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ilievski
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Sciences, and.
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lomax-Luu
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Sciences, and.
authors.forename: Faruque
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Parvez
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Arsenic Project in Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Abu B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Siddique
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Arsenic Project in Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shahriar
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Arsenic Project in Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Mohammad N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Uddin
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Arsenic Project in Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Tariqul
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Sciences, and.
authors.forename: Joseph H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Graziano
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Sciences, and.
authors.forename: Mary V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Gamble
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000652:urine*; D001459:Bangladesh; D001622:Betaine / Q000097:blood*; D002794:Choline / Q000097:blood*; D003401:Creatine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012521:Sarcosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000494:pharmacology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D001622:Betaine; C025138:dimethylglycine; D005492:Folic Acid; D003401:Creatine; D001151:Arsenic; D002794:Choline; D012521:Sarcosine
keywords: arsenic; betaine; choline; creatine; folic acid