Prenatal Hyperhomocysteinemia Leads to Synaptic Dysfunction and Structural Alterations in the CA1 Hippocampus of Rats.

IF 4.8 2区生物学 Q1 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Biomolecules Pub Date : 2025-02-19 DOI:10.3390/biom15020305

Tatyana Y Postnikova, Alexandra V Griflyuk, Natalia L Tumanova, Nadezhda M Dubrovskaya, Anastasia V Mikhel, Dmitriy S Vasilev, Aleksey V Zaitsev

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Abstract

Prenatal hyperhomocysteinemia (HCY) is associated with neurodevelopmental deficits, yet its long-term impact on hippocampal synaptic function remains poorly understood. This study examines the effects of moderate maternal HCY on excitatory synaptic transmission in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus in rat offspring at juvenile (P21) and adult (P90) stages. Using field postsynaptic potential (fPSP) recordings, electron microscopy, and Western blot analysis, we observed a significant age-dependent decline in the efficiency of excitatory synaptic transmission in HCY-exposed rats. Electron microscopy revealed structural alterations, including synaptic vesicle agglutination in the stratum radiatum, suggesting impaired neurotransmitter release. Additionally, a significant reduction in pyramidal neuron density was observed in the CA1 region, although seizure susceptibility remained unchanged. Western blot analysis showed altered expression of Synapsin I, indicating presynaptic dysfunction. These findings suggest that moderate prenatal HCY leads to persistent deficits in synaptic transmission and structural integrity, potentially contributing to cognitive impairments in adulthood. Our results highlight the importance of maternal homocysteine levels in shaping hippocampal function and could offer insights into neurodevelopmental disorders associated with metabolic disturbances.

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来源期刊

Biomolecules Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology-Molecular Biology

CiteScore

9.40

自引率

3.60%

发文量

1640

审稿时长

18.28 days

期刊介绍： Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X) is an international, peer-reviewed open access journal focusing on biogenic substances and their biological functions, structures, interactions with other molecules, and their microenvironment as well as biological systems. Biomolecules publishes reviews, regular research papers and short communications. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical results in as much detail as possible. There is no restriction on the length of the papers. The full experimental details must be provided so that the results can be reproduced.