Prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia as a model of oxidative stress of the brain.

We found that methionine added to the ration of pregnant rats (1 g/kg body weight) induced sustained hyperhomocysteinemia and led to the formation of sustained oxidative stress in the brain of their progeny. Newborn animals were characterized by lower body weight, SOD deficiency in the brain, increased neuronal death, and desensitization of NMDA receptors. These factors are associated with impaired cognitive capacity in the Morris test.