Methylation and expression patterns of miRNA and cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus genes in the offspring of rats dams submitted to acid folic deficient and supplemented diets

• Grant number: 13/21337-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2014
• End date: April 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutrition Biochemistry
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Helio Vannucchi
• Grantee: Paula Lumy Takeuchi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Folic acid participates in several metabolic pathways including controlling the homocysteine synthesis and degradation and it provides methyl groups for methylation reactions especially those associated with the control of the integrity and epigenetic regulation of the genome. By presenting this activity folic acid can influence significantly the degree of gene methylation during the embryonic reprogramming period which may lead to the chronic diseases development such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. This study aims to investigate by real time PCR the effect of acid folic supplementation and deficiency provided by maternal diet on methylation and expression of genes and miRNAs involved in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus on the offspring of rats dams submitted to diets deficient and supplemented with this vitamin. After establishing the methylation and expression profiles the proteins encoded by differentially expressed genes will be identified and quantified. It is expected that the results from this study will provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms related to epigenetic reprogramming of fetal genes involved in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus demonstrating the importance of an adequate supply of folic acid during embryonic / fetal development. (AU)