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Inositol prevents folate-resistant neural tube defects in the mouse

Nature Medicine volume 3, pages 60–66 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

Clinical trials demonstrate that up to 70% of neural tube defects (NTDs) can be prevented by folk acid supplementation in early pregnancy, whereas the remaining NTDs are resistant to folate. Here, we show that a second vitamin, myo-inositol, is capable of significantly reducing the incidence of spinal NTDs in curly tail mice, a genetic model of folate-resistant NTDs. Inositol increases flux through the inositol/lipid cycle, stimulating protein kinase C activity and upregulating expression of retinoic acid receptor β, specifically in the caudal portion of the embryonic hindgut. This reduces the delay in closure of the posterior neuropore, the embryonic defect that is known to lead directly to spina bifida in curly tail embryos. Our findings reveal a molecular pathway of NTD prevention and suggest the possible efficacy of combined treatment with folate and inositol in overcoming the majority of human NTDs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neural Development Unit, Institute of Child Health, University of London, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, UK

    Nicholas D.E. Greene & Andrew J. Copp

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  1. Nicholas D.E. Greene
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  2. Andrew J. Copp
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Greene, N., Copp, A. Inositol prevents folate-resistant neural tube defects in the mouse. Nat Med 3, 60–66 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0197-60

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