Zinc intake during pregnancy increases the proliferation at ventricular zone of the newborn brain

Authors: Azman, Mohd; Wan Saudi, Wan; Ilhami, Mohammad; Mutalib, Mohd Sokhini; Rahman, Mohammad

Source: Nutritional Neuroscience, Volume 12, Number 1, February 2009 , pp. 9-12(4)

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $48.00 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

Neurogenesis involves cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest, differentiation, migration and the natural developmental death of the neural precursors. These processes are highly co-ordinated and governed by cell-cycle genes and neural transcription factors. Zn plays a crucial role as a functional and structural component of enzymes and transcription factors and components of the intracellular signaling pathway associated with the regulation of cell proliferation. The influence of additional Zn intake during pregnancy on the neuronal proliferation at ventricular zone of the developing fetus has been studied. Pups delivered by the group of mice provided with drinking water with 4.0 mM Zn supplement throughout pregnancy contained an increased number of proliferating neurons in the ventricular zone at P0 compared to those delivered by the mice provided with drinking water without any Zn supplement. This finding provides direct evidence to support the notion that maternal Zn levels influence the development of the nervous system of the offspring.

Keywords: EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT; CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM; NEURON; CORTEX; BRDU

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/147683009X388904

Affiliations: Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuantan, Malaysia

Publication date: 2009-02-01

More about this publication?