title: Maternal vitamin C deficiency does not reduce hippocampal volume and β-tubulin III intensity in prenatal Guinea pigs.
abstract: Marginal vitamin C (vitC) deficiency affects 5% to 10% of adults including subpopulations such as pregnant women and newborns. Animal studies link vitC deficiency to deleterious effects on the developing brain, but exactly how the brain adapts to vitC deficiency and the mechanisms behind the observed deficits remain largely unknown. We hypothesized that vitC deficiency in utero may lead to a decreased neuronal maturation and increased cellular death giving rise to alterations of the hippocampal morphology in a guinea pig model. Brains from prenatal guinea pig pups (n=9-10 in each group) subjected to either a sufficient (918mg vitC/kg feed) or deficient (100mg vitC/kg feed) maternal dietary regimen were assessed with regards to hippocampal volume and β-tubulin isotype III staining intensity at 2 gestational time points (45 and 56). We found a distinct differential regional growth pattern of the hippocampus with a clear effect of gestational age, whereas vitC status did not affect either investigated parameters. Within hippocampal subdivisions, the overall expansion of the hippocampus from gestational day 45 to 56 was found to reside in the dentate gyrus. In conclusion, the present study found that hippocampal volume and β-tubulin isotype III intensity in the prenatal guinea pig were influenced by gestational day but not by maternal vitC intake.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Animal Models, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Ridebanevej 9, 1.floor, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. Electronic address: snoha@sund.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Stine N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Experimental Animal Models, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Ridebanevej 9, 1.floor, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. Electronic address: fsc674@alumni.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Janne G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Schjoldager
authors.affiliation: Experimental Animal Models, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Ridebanevej 9, 1.floor, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. Electronic address: mayapaidi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maya D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Paidi
authors.affiliation: Experimental Animal Models, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Ridebanevej 9, 1.floor, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. Electronic address: jopl@sund.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lykkesfeldt
authors.affiliation: Experimental Animal Models, Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Ridebanevej 9, 1.floor, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark. Electronic address: ptn@sund.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Pernille
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tveden-Nyborg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001206:Ascorbic Acid Deficiency / Q000097:blood*; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014404:Tubulin; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
keywords: Ascorbic acid; Cavia porcellus; Deficiency; Fetal development; Hippocampus