Importance of Choline in Brain Development

Choline Deficiency May Hinder Brain Development of Baby in the Womb, Study Shows

Inadequate choline in the diet may cause reduction in blood vessel growth in the brain of a developing fetus, according to recent study. The study sheds new light on the importance of choline in fetal brain development.

The study was published in the July 20, 2010, edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research was supported by NIH’s National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

Choline is an important nutrient that is needed by the body to make cell membranes - the structure separating the inside of the cell from the outside. Also, it is needed to produce a nerve cell messenger (neurotransmitter) called acteylcholine.

Earlier research conducted by Dr. Steven H. Zeisel of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that maternal choline deficiency alters the growth of new nerve cells in the hippocampus of fetal mice. "Because the developing brain also depends on an adequate blood supply, Zeisel and his colleagues decided to take a closer look at choline’s effect on the growth of new blood vessels, or angiogenesis, in the fetal hippocampus." The hippocampus is important for creating memory.

The researchers made use of pregnant mice in the study. One group of pregnant mice were fed with choline-enriched diet while the other with choline-deficient diet. Researchers found that on the 17th day of fetal development, "the choline-deficient fetal mice had significantly fewer blood vessels in the hippocampus compared to the mice whose mothers received a standard or choline-enriched diet. The fetal hippocampus in choline-deficient mice also had less proliferation of endothelial cells, the cells that line the inner walls of blood vessels."

"Further experiments linked choline deficiency to an overexpression of 2 growth factors—called Vegfc and Angpt2—in the fetal hippocampus. These growth factors regulate angiogenesis and the maturation of endothelial cells. The researchers propose that the abundance of the growth factors in the hippocampus during choline deficiency leads to the rapid differentiation and maturity of endothelial cells. Because differentiated cells divide less frequently, or not at all, the changes may prematurely dampen the growth of new blood vessels."

Dr. Mihai G. Mehedint, the paper's lead author said “The study could impact prenatal care in humans, as many pregnant women in the United States eat diets that contain less choline than recommended by authorities."

According to the National Institutes of Health, "the researchers are now conducting clinical trials to learn more about how much choline people need and how requirements may vary from person to person."

Source:
Vicki Contie (July 2010). Choline Deficiency May Hinder Fetal Brain Development. National Institutes of Health, Available Online at http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/july2010/07262010choline.htm. Accessed on August 1, 2010.

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