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The Cardiac Effects of Prolonged Vitamin B12 and Folate Deficiency in Rats

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Abstract

In the recent past, hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCY) has been linked to chronic heart failure. Folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies are the common causes of HHCY. The impact of these vitamins on cardiac function and morphology has scarcely been investigated. The aim of this study was to conduct an analysis of the cardiac effect of folate and vitamin B12 deficiency in vivo. Two groups of rats, a control (Co, n = 10) and a vitamin-deficient group (VitDef, n = 10), were fed for 12 weeks with a folate and vitamin B12-free diet or an equicaloric control diet. Plasma and tissue concentrations of HCY, S-adenosyl-homocysteine (SAH), S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were measured. Moreover, echocardiographic and histomorphometric analyses were performed. VitDef animals developed a significant HHCY (Co vs VitDef: 6.8 ± 2.7 vs 61.1 ± 12.8 μmol/l, P < 0.001). Fractional shortening, left ventricular dimension at end-diastole and end-systole, posterior wall thickness, perivascular collagen, mast cell number, and BNP tissue levels were comparable in VitDef and Co animals. Interstitial collagen (Co vs VitDef: 6.8 ± 3.0 vs 4.5 ± 2.1%, P < 0.05), plasma BNP (Co vs VitDef: 180 ± 80 vs 70 ± 60 ng/l, P < 0.05), and tissue HCY (Co vs VitDef: 0.13 ± 0.07 vs 0.07 ± 0.04 μmol/g protein, P < 0.05) were lower in VitDef animals. Folate and vitamin B12 deficiency do not affect cardiac function and morphology.

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Acknowledgment

This study was supported by the Kompetenznetzwerk Herzinsuffizienz by the BMBF (TP11and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/Klinische Forschergruppe KFO 196) through financial grants to Michael Böhm and Heiko Kilter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital of Saarland, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany

    Omid Taban-Shomal, Alexandra Wagner, Heike Schorr, Natalia Umanskaya, Ulrich Hübner, Wolfgang Herrmann & Markus Herrmann

  2. Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital of Saarland, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany

    Heiko Kilter & Michael Böhm

  3. ANZAC Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Concord Campus, Gate 3, Hospital Road, Concord, NSW, 2139, Australia

    Markus Herrmann

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  1. Omid Taban-Shomal
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  2. Heiko Kilter
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Correspondence to Markus Herrmann.

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Taban-Shomal, O., Kilter, H., Wagner, A. et al. The Cardiac Effects of Prolonged Vitamin B12 and Folate Deficiency in Rats. Cardiovasc Toxicol 9, 95–102 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-009-9038-2

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