Age-related effects of methionine-enriched diet on plasma homocysteine concentration and methylation of hepatic DNA in rats.

In the present study we determined the age-related effect of methionine-enriched diet, a model of hyperhomocysteinemia, on the level of plasma homocysteine and hepatic global DNA methylation in rats. Feeding methionine diet to middle-aged rats for only 14 days resulted in a significant increase in plasma homocysteine level and DNA hypomethylation. In contrast, feeding the methionine-containing diet for 2 weeks to juvenile or post-pubertal animals did not alter the level of plasma homocysteine or hepatic DNA methylation. Supplementation of the methionine-enriched diet with vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid prevented both hepatic DNA hypomethylation and an increase of plasma homocysteine concentration in the middle-aged rats. These findings indicate that the elevated level of plasma homocysteine may be indicative of much broader and deeper alterations in intracellular methylation dysfunction, and suggest that dietary enrichment with B-vitamins is essential for the metabolism of homocysteine, especially in adult animals.

Abnormal folate metabolism and genetic polymorphism of the folate pathway in a child with Down syndrome and neural tube defect.

The association of neural tube defects (NTDs) with Down syndrome (trisomy 21) and altered folate metabolism in both mother and affected offspring provide a unique opportunity for insight into the etiologic role of folate deficiency in these congenital anomalies. We describe here the case of a male child with trisomy 21, cervical meningomyelocele, agenesis of corpus callosum, hydrocephaly, cerebellar herniation into the foramen magnum, and shallow posterior cranial fossa. Molecular analysis of the methylenetetrahydrofolate (MTHFR) gene revealed homozygosity for the mutant 677C-->T polymorphism in both the mother and child. The plasma homocysteine of the mother was highly elevated at 25.0 micromol/L and was associated with a low methionine level of 22.1 micromol/L. Her S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) level was three times that of reference normal women, resulting in a markedly reduced ratio of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to SAH and significant DNA hypomethylation in lymphocytes. The child had low plasma levels of both homocysteine and methionine and a reduced SAM/SAH ratio that was also associated with lymphocyte DNA hypomethylation. In addition, the child had a five-fold increase in cystathionine level relative to normal children, consistent with over-expression of the cystathionine beta synthase gene present on chromosome 21. We suggest that altered folate status plus homozygous mutation in the MTHFR gene in the mother could promote chromosomal instability and meiotic non-disjunction resulting in trisomy 21. Altered folate status and homozygous TT mutation in the MTHFR gene in both mother and child would be expected to increase the risk of neural tube defects. The presence of both trisomy 21 and postclosure NTD in the same child supports the need for an extended periconceptional period of maternal folate supplementation to achieve greater preventive effects for both NTD and trisomy 21.

Abnormal folate metabolism and mutation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene may be maternal risk factors for Down syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Down syndrome, or trisomy 21, is a complex genetic disease resulting from the presence of 3 copies of chromosome 21. The origin of the extra chromosome is maternal in 95% of cases and is due to the failure of normal chromosomal segregation during meiosis. Although advanced maternal age is a major risk factor for trisomy 21, most children with Down syndrome are born to mothers <30 y of age. OBJECTIVE: On the basis of evidence that abnormal folate and methyl metabolism can lead to DNA hypomethylation and abnormal chromosomal segregation, we hypothesized that the C-to-T substitution at nucleotide 677 (677C-->T) mutation of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene may be a risk factor for maternal meiotic nondisjunction and Down syndrome in young mothers. DESIGN: The frequency of the MTHFR 677C-->T mutation was evaluated in 57 mothers of children with Down syndrome and in 50 age-matched control mothers. Ratios of plasma homocysteine to methionine and lymphocyte methotrexate cytotoxicity were measured as indicators of functional folate status. RESULTS: A significant increase in plasma homocysteine concentrations and lymphocyte methotrexate cytotoxicity was observed in the mothers of children with Down syndrome, consistent with abnormal folate and methyl metabolism. Mothers with the 677C-->T mutation had a 2.6-fold higher risk of having a child with Down syndrome than did mothers without the T substitution (odds ratio: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.2, 5.8; P < 0.03). CONCLUSION: The results of this initial study indicate that folate metabolism is abnormal in mothers of children with Down syndrome and that this may be explained, in part, by a mutation in the MTHFR gene.

Uracil misincorporation, DNA strand breaks, and gene amplification are associated with tumorigenic cell transformation in folate deficient/repleted Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Clinical and experimental evidence has linked nutritional folic acid status to both anti- and procarcinogenic activity. Folate supplementation of normal cells appears to have a protective effect; however, folate supplementation of initiated cells may promote neoplastic progression. Given these considerations, the present series of experiments examines alterations in DNA metabolism and cumulative DNA lesions using an in vitro model of folate deprivation and repletion. DNA repair-deficient CHO-UV5 cells were cultured in Ham's F-12 medium or in custom-prepared Ham's F-12 medium lacking in folic acid, thymidine and hypoxanthine for a period of 18 days without cell passage. The results indicated that progressive folate and nucleotide depletion leads to a significant increase in the ratio of dUTP/dTTP and to the misincorporation of uracil into DNA. These alterations were accompanied by growth inhibition, DNA strand breaks, abasic sites and phenotypic abnormalities. After 14 days in culture, there was significant increase in gene amplification potential in the chronically folate-deficient cells, but no significant increase in anchorage-independent growth or in neoplastic transformation. Acute folate repletion of the deficient cells was used as a proliferative stimulus under conditions of dNTP pool imbalance and multiple lesions in DNA. A further increase in gene amplification was accompanied by anchorage-independent growth and neoplastic cell transformation as evidenced by aggressive tumor growth in Balb/c nu/nu mice. Using a sensitive in vitro model system, these results emphasize the essentiality of folic acid for de novo nucleotide synthesis and the integrity of the DNA. However, the in vivo relevance, especially in terms of tumorigenic potential, is not clear.

Moderate folate depletion increases plasma homocysteine and decreases lymphocyte DNA methylation in postmenopausal women.

To determine the human folate requirement on the basis of changes in biochemical pathways, we studied the effect of controlled folate intakes on plasma homocysteine and lymphocyte DNA methylation and deoxynucleotide content in healthy postmenopausal women. Eight women (49-63 y of age) were housed in a metabolic unit and fed a low folate diet containing 56 microg/d of folate for 91 d. Folate intake was varied by supplementing 55-460 microg/d of folic acid (pteroylglutamic acid) to the diet to provide total folate intake periods of 5 wk at 56 microg/d, 4 wk at 111 microg/d and 3 wk at 286-516 microg/d. A subclinical folate deficiency with decreased plasma folate was created during the first two periods. This resulted in significantly elevated plasma homocysteine and urinary malondialdehyde, and lymphocyte DNA hypomethylation. The folate depletion also resulted in an increased ratio of dUTP/dTTP in mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte DNA and decreased lymphocyte NAD, changes suggesting misincorporation of uracil into DNA and increased DNA repair activity. The DNA hypomethylation was reversed with 286-516 microg/d of folate repletion, whereas the elevated homocysteine decreased with 516 but not 286 microg/d of folate. The results indicate that marginal folate deficiency may alter DNA composition and that the current RDA of 180 microg/d may not be sufficient to maintain low plasma homocysteine concentrations of some postmenopausal women.

Apoptosis and proliferation under conditions of deoxynucleotide pool imbalance in liver of folate/methyl deficient rats.

Weanling male F344 rats were fed either a semi-purified diet low in methionine and lacking in choline and folic acid (folate/methyl deficient) or a supplemented control diet for periods of 2, 5, 7 days, 3 weeks, and 9 weeks. Two days after initiating the folate/methyl deficient diet in weanling F344 rats, the incidence of apoptotic bodies, identified by in situ end-labeling of 3'-OH DNA strand breaks, was significantly increased in liver sections from the deficient rats. Apoptotic cell death was confirmed biochemically by an increase in nuclear Ca2+/Mg2+-dependent endonuclease activity that paralleled the increase in apoptotic bodies over the 9-week feeding period. There was no morphologic evidence of necrotic foci or necrosis-associated inflammatory response over the 9-week period. Confirming that cell turnover is chronically elevated in this model, the increase in apoptotic rate was accompanied by a sustained increase in the mitotic index (MI). The DNA repair-associated enzyme, poly(ADPribose) polymerase (PARP), was similarly elevated and was associated with significant decreases in the substrate for ADPribose polymer synthesis, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). Because folate metabolites are essential for de novo purine and thymidine biosynthesis, prolonged deficiency in folic acid can induce an imbalance in the deoxynucleotide precursors for DNA replication/repair and negatively affect the fidelity of DNA synthesis. Using an HPLC method, hepatic deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) levels were increased at 3 and 9 weeks after initiation of the deficient diet and levels of thymidine triphosphate (dTTP) were reduced. An increase in dUTP/ dTTP ratio is consistent with a block in folate-dependent de novo thymidylate biosynthesis and may predispose to uracil misincorporation and DNA repair-related DNA strand breaks.

Breaks in genomic DNA and within the p53 gene are associated with hypomethylation in livers of folate/methyl-deficient rats.

Male weanling Fischer 344 rats were fed either a semipurified diet deficient in the methyl donors methionine, choline, and folic acid or a supplemented control diet for a period of 9 weeks. At intervals of 2, 5, and 7 days, 3 weeks, and 9 weeks after initiation of the respective diets, the relative level of DNA strand breaks and the degree of cytosine methylation were quantified in high molecular weight DNA and also within the p53 gene in liver samples from these rats. Genome-wide strand break accumulation was associated with progressive genomic hypomethylation and increased DNA methyltransferase activity. With the use of quantitative PCR as a gene-specific DNA strand break assay, unique DNA strand breaks were detected in exon 5 but not in exons 6-8 of the p53 gene, and were accompanied by significant p53 gene hypomethylation. DNA hypomethylation has been shown to alter the conformation and stability of the chromatin structure, rendering affected regions more accessible to DNA-damaging agents. To determine whether methylation status alters the sensitivity of DNA to strand breakage, DNA in isolated nuclei was methylated in vitro and exposed to endogenous calcium/magnesium-dependent endonuclease activated under defined conditions. The incidence of enzyme-induced DNA strand breaks was decreased significantly with increased DNA methylation. In nuclei isolated from livers of methyl-deficient rats, the hypomethylated DNA was found to be more sensitive to enzyme- and oxidant-induced DNA strand break induction. Taken together, these results provide evidence that DNA strand breaks are induced in high molecular weight DNA and also within the p53 gene in liver tissue from methyl-deficient rats. The increased incidence of these strand breaks in DNA from methyl-deficient rats may be related to alterations in chromatin accessibility associated with DNA hypomethylation.