Effects of Vitamin B12 and Folate Deficiencies on DNA Methylation and Carcinogenesis in Rat Liver
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Laurent Brunaud
Abstract
Deficiencies of the major dietary sources of methyl groups, methionine and choline, lead to the formation of liver cancer in rodents. The most widely investigated hypothesis has been that dietary methyl insufficiency results in abnormal DNA methylation. Vitamin B12 and folate also play important roles in DNA methylation since these two coenzymes are required for the synthesis of methionine and S-adenosyl methionine, the common methyl donor required for the maintenance of methylation patterns in DNA. The aim of this study was to review the effects of methyl-deficient diets on DNA methylation and liver carcinogenesis in rats, and to evaluate the role of vitamin B12 status in defining carcinogenicity of a methyl-deficient diet. Several studies have shown that a methyl-deficient diet influences global DNA methylation. Evidence from in vivo studies has not clearly established a link between vitamin B12 and DNA methylation. We reported that vitamin B12 and low methionine synthase activity were the two determinants of DNA hypomethylation. Choline- or choline/methionine-deficient diets have been shown to cause hepatocellular carcinoma in 20–50% of animals after 12–24 months. In contrast, the effect of vitamin B12 withdrawal, in addition to choline, methionine and folate, induced hepatocellular carcinoma in less than 5% of
Copyright © 2003 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG
Articles in the same Issue
- SIBioC 2003 35th National Congress of the Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology, Florence, Italy, 14–17 October 2003
- Vitamins and Trace Elements: The Distances between Deficiency and Repletion and between Care and Prevention
- Factors Affecting Intestinal Absorption of Highly Lipophilic Food Microconstituents (Fat-Soluble Vitamins, Carotenoids and Phytosterols)
- Protective Effects of Antioxidant Micronutrients (Vitamin E, Zinc and Selenium) in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
- Biofactors in the Mediterranean Diet
- The Effect of Selenium on Immune Functions of J774.1 Cells
- Effects of Vitamin B12 and Folate Deficiencies on DNA Methylation and Carcinogenesis in Rat Liver
- Trace Elements, Innate Immune Response and Parasites
- Clinical B12 Deficiency in One Case of Recurrent Spontaneous Pregnancy Loss
- Low Frequency of Mutated Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase 677 C→T and 1298 A→C Genetics Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in Sub-Saharan Populations
- A Two-Step Method for the Extraction of High-Quality RNA from Endoscopic Biopsies
- Assay for Cross-Linked Carboxyterminal Telopeptide of Type I Collagen (ICTP) Unlike CrossLaps Assay Reflects Increased Pathological Degradation of Type I Collagen in Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Stimulatory Effect of Homocysteine on Interleukin-8 Expression in Human Endothelial Cells
- Sensitive and Specific Photometric Determination of Mannitol in Human Serum
- Assessment of Hypolactasia and Site-Specific Intestinal Permeability by Differential Sugar Absorption of Raffinose, Lactose, Sucrose and Mannitol
- Human Plasminogen Is Highly Susceptible to Peroxynitrite Inactivation
- Analytical and Clinical Evaluation of a New Urinary Tumor Marker: Bladder Tumor Fibronectin in Diagnosis and Follow-up of Bladder Cancer
- Biological Variation of Lipoprotein(a) in a Diabetic Population. Analysis of the Causes and Clinical Implications
- Relationship of Dehydroepiandrosterone and Its 7-Hydroxylated Metabolites to Thyroid Parameters and Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) in Healthy Subjects
- Comparability of Eight Immunoassay Procedures for the Determination of CA 15-3 and Related Markers
- Reference Values of Serum Total Sialic Acid for Healthy Adult Subjects and Comparison of Two Different Calibrators for Quantitation of Total Sialic Acid in High Performance Anion-Exchange Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometric Detection
- A Simple Method for the Classification of Proteinuria
- Meetings and Awards
Articles in the same Issue
- SIBioC 2003 35th National Congress of the Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology, Florence, Italy, 14–17 October 2003
- Vitamins and Trace Elements: The Distances between Deficiency and Repletion and between Care and Prevention
- Factors Affecting Intestinal Absorption of Highly Lipophilic Food Microconstituents (Fat-Soluble Vitamins, Carotenoids and Phytosterols)
- Protective Effects of Antioxidant Micronutrients (Vitamin E, Zinc and Selenium) in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
- Biofactors in the Mediterranean Diet
- The Effect of Selenium on Immune Functions of J774.1 Cells
- Effects of Vitamin B12 and Folate Deficiencies on DNA Methylation and Carcinogenesis in Rat Liver
- Trace Elements, Innate Immune Response and Parasites
- Clinical B12 Deficiency in One Case of Recurrent Spontaneous Pregnancy Loss
- Low Frequency of Mutated Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase 677 C→T and 1298 A→C Genetics Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in Sub-Saharan Populations
- A Two-Step Method for the Extraction of High-Quality RNA from Endoscopic Biopsies
- Assay for Cross-Linked Carboxyterminal Telopeptide of Type I Collagen (ICTP) Unlike CrossLaps Assay Reflects Increased Pathological Degradation of Type I Collagen in Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Stimulatory Effect of Homocysteine on Interleukin-8 Expression in Human Endothelial Cells
- Sensitive and Specific Photometric Determination of Mannitol in Human Serum
- Assessment of Hypolactasia and Site-Specific Intestinal Permeability by Differential Sugar Absorption of Raffinose, Lactose, Sucrose and Mannitol
- Human Plasminogen Is Highly Susceptible to Peroxynitrite Inactivation
- Analytical and Clinical Evaluation of a New Urinary Tumor Marker: Bladder Tumor Fibronectin in Diagnosis and Follow-up of Bladder Cancer
- Biological Variation of Lipoprotein(a) in a Diabetic Population. Analysis of the Causes and Clinical Implications
- Relationship of Dehydroepiandrosterone and Its 7-Hydroxylated Metabolites to Thyroid Parameters and Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) in Healthy Subjects
- Comparability of Eight Immunoassay Procedures for the Determination of CA 15-3 and Related Markers
- Reference Values of Serum Total Sialic Acid for Healthy Adult Subjects and Comparison of Two Different Calibrators for Quantitation of Total Sialic Acid in High Performance Anion-Exchange Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometric Detection
- A Simple Method for the Classification of Proteinuria
- Meetings and Awards
