Maternal usage of varying levels of dietary folate affects the postnatal development of cerebellar folia and cortical layer volumes

ABSTRACT

Objective:

The cerebellum has a long, protracted developmental period; therefore, it is more sensitive to intrauterine and postnatal insults like nutritional deficiencies. Folate is an essential nutrient in fetal and postnatal brain development, and its supplementation during pregnancy is widely recommended. This study aimed to describe the effects of maternal folate intake on postnatal cerebellum development.

Methods:

Twelve adult female Rattus norwegicus (6–8 weeks old) rats were randomly assigned to one of four groups and given one of four premixed diets: a standard diet (2 mg/kg), a folate-deficient (folate 0 mg/kg), folate-supplemented (8 mg/kg), or folate supra-supplemented (40 mg/kg). The rats began consuming their specific diets 14 days before mating and were maintained on them throughout pregnancy and lactation. Five pups from each group were sacrificed, and their brains processed for light microscopic examination on postnatal days 1, 7, 21, and 35. The data gathered included the morphology of the cerebellar folia and an estimate of the volume of the cerebellar cortical layer using the Cavalieri method.

Results:

Folia of the folate-supplemented and supra-supplemented groups were thicker and showed extensive branching with sub-lobule formation. The folate-deficient diet group's folia were smaller, had more inter-folial spaces, or fused. When compared to the folate-deficient group, the volumes of the cerebellum and individual cerebellar cortical layers were significantly larger in the folate-supplemented and supra-supplemented groups (p<0.05).

Conclusion:

Folate supplementation during pregnancy and lactation improves the degree and complexity of the cerebellar folia and the volumes of individual cerebellar cortical layers.

KEYWORDS:

• Folate deficiency
• Folate supplementation
• Cerebellum
• Folial morphology
• External granule cell layer
• Molecular layer
• Internal granule cell layer
• Postnatal development

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [PM], upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Philip Maseghe Mwachaka

Philip Mwachaka (BSc, MBChB, MSc, MMed) is a lecturer at the Department of Human Anatomy and Medical Physiology at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. He is a trained neurosurgeon and anatomist with a special interest in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Peter Gichangi

Peter Gichangi (BSc, MBChB, MMed, PhD) is an associate professor at the Department of Human Anatomy and Medical Physiology at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. He is a trained anatomist, obstetrician, and gynecologist.

Adel Abdelmalek

Adel Abdelmalek (MBChB, MSc, PhD, MMed) is a professor at the Department of Human Anatomy and Medical Physiology at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. He is a trained neuroanatomist with a special interest in developmental neuroanatomy.

Paul Odula

Paul Odula (BSc, MBChB, MMed, PhD) is a senior lecturer at the Department of Human Anatomy and Medical Physiology at the University of Nairobi in Kenya.

Julius Ogeng’o

Julius Ogeng'o (BSc, MBChB, PhD, DM, DSc) is a professor at the Department of Human Anatomy and Medical Physiology at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. He is a trained neuroanatomist with a special interest in developmental neuroanatomy.