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Effects of choline supplementation in mothers with hypothyroidism on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene expression changes in pre-pubertal offspring rats

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Abstract

Background

Thyroid hormones play a vital function in the maturation in the course of mind development. Regarding the well-known effects of choline on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the study examined the effects of choline on hippocampal BDNF gene expression in maternal hypothyroidism rats.

Methods and results

To induce the hypothyroidism, 6-propyl-2-thiouracil was introduced to the ingesting water from the sixth day of gestation to twenty-first postnatal day (PND). Choline-treatment started twice a day on the first day of gestation until PND 21. On PND28, pups were sacrificed. The expression of BDNF gene was evaluated after the hippocampus was harvested. Our results demonstrated that both male and female pre-pubertal offspring rats’ BDNF gene expression was decreased by developmental hypothyroidism. Choline increases the ratio of relative gene expression of BDNF in the hippocampus of males and females in the control/hypothyroidism group, especially in males.

Conclusions

It can be concluded that maternal choline supplementation on the first day of gestation until PND 21 improves brain development and cognitive function in pre-pubertal offspring rats regarding control/hypothyroidism groups.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to all staff of Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

    Siamak Sheikhi

  2. Neurophysiology Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

    Leila Derafshpour

  3. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

    Razieh Aghazadeh

  4. Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Health, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran

    Hojat Sayyadi

  5. Zanjan Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran

    Ehsan Saboory

  6. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, 5715781351, Iran

    Morteza Bagheri

Authors
  1. Siamak Sheikhi
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  2. Leila Derafshpour
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  3. Razieh Aghazadeh
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  4. Hojat Sayyadi
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Contributions

SSH, LD, HS, ES, and MB contributed in study design, data analysis and interpretation, and drafting of manuscript; SSH, LD, and MB contributed in interpretation of results and critical revision of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Morteza Bagheri.

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The authors have not disclosed any competing interests.

Ethical approval and informed consent

Ethics committee of Urmia Medical Sciences University approved all stages of the study (IR.UMSU.REC.1397.449).

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Data available on request from the authors.

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Sheikhi, S., Derafshpour, L., Aghazadeh, R. et al. Effects of choline supplementation in mothers with hypothyroidism on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene expression changes in pre-pubertal offspring rats. Mol Biol Rep 50, 2351–2356 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-022-08014-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-022-08014-8

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