The Effects of the Type and Timing of Dietary Folate on Memory, Learning, and Gene Expression in Mice

Folate has been known as an important vitamin for several decades. It is vital in development and epigenetics and is especially known for its involvement in the prevention of neural tube defects in newborns. Due to this ability, a synthetic form of folate, folic acid, was mandated by the government to be reinforced into cereals and grains. This study used a mouse model to determine the effects folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate have on gene expression and behavior. Since folate is known to be important for epigenetics and neuronal development, this study examined the effects of folate by applying behavioral tests to test memory and learning and a microarray analysis to test for gene expression changes. It was confirmed that folate is important for properly functioning cognition in mice. Additionally, the microarray analysis showed clear gene expression changes between the folate replete mice and the folate deficient mice. Interestingly, it was observed that the natural form of folate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, may confer long term benefits compared to the synthetic form, although additional research is needed to confirm this

Cerebral small vessel disease genomics and its implications across the lifespan

White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are the most common brain-imaging feature of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), hypertension being the main known risk factor. Here, we identify 27 genome-wide loci for WMH-volume in a cohort of 50,970 older individuals, accounting for modification/confounding by hypertension. Aggregated WMH risk variants were associated with altered white matter integrity (p = 2.5×10-7) in brain images from 1,738 young healthy adults, providing insight into the lifetime impact of SVD genetic risk. Mendelian randomization suggested causal association of increasing WMH-volume with stroke, Alzheimer-type dementia, and of increasing blood pressure (BP) with larger WMH-volume, notably also in persons without clinical hypertension. Transcriptome-wide colocalization analyses showed association of WMH-volume with expression of 39 genes, of which four encode known drug targets. Finally, we provide insight into BP-independent biological pathways underlying SVD and suggest potential for genetic stratification of high-risk individuals and for genetically-informed prioritization of drug targets for prevention trials.Peer reviewe

Physical Activity and Body Composition Measures of Elementary-Aged School Children on an American Indian Reservation

Physical Activity and Body Composition Measures of Elementary-Aged School Children on an American Indian Reservation 1Kemp, C., 1Schreiner, A., 2Kavanagh, D., and 1Yonts, B. 1Department of Health and Human Performance, Exercise Science, The University of Montana—Missoula; 2Department of Health and Human Performance, Community Health, The University of Montana—Missoula Childhood obesity and diabetes are major public health concerns. American Indian (AI) children are at increased risk for these diseases. Physical inactivity and high body mass index (BMI) are risk factors for obesity and diabetes. The purpose of this study was to collect body composition measures and physical activity (PA) counts for elementary school-age children on an AI reservation. A total of 61 children (28 males and 33 females) participated in the body composition measures. These included weight, height, and waist circumference—BMI was calculated with the equation weight(kg)/height(m)2 and converted to BMI-for-age percentiles. Physical activity was measured by direct observation. Three sections of the recess playground were designated as zones: Zone 1 was an asphalt area, Zone 2 contained playground structures, and Zone 3 was an open field. Each zone was video recorded for 10 minutes during a recess period for four school days. PA counts were classified as sedentary, walking, or active. The mean BMI-for-age was at the 67th percentile and mean waist circumference was 72.3cm (±11.7cm). The PA data showed girls had more sedentary counts (12.2 ± 3.5) and active counts (8.0 ± 2.1) in Zone 2 compared to Zone 1 (sedentary counts= 2.3 ± 1.3; active counts= 2.7 ± 1.6) or Zone 3 (sedentary counts=0 ± 0; active counts= 0 ± 0). Boys had more sedentary counts (4.7 ± 2.2) and active counts (4.7 ± 2.8) in Zone 2 than either Zone 1 (sedentary counts= 2.4 ± 1.5; active counts= 3.8 ± 2.1) or Zone 3 (sedentary counts= 0.9 ± 1; active counts= 3.8 ± 2.9). These data were the baseline results of a pilot study designed to increase PA during recess in 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade children in this AI community