Assessment of folate and cobalamin concentrations in relation to their dependent intracellular metabolites in serum of pigs between 6 and 26 weeks of age

• Published in: Research in veterinary science 2020-06, Vol.130, p.59-67
• Main Authors: Grützner, Niels, Opriessnig, Tanja, Lopes, Rosana, Suchodolski, Jan S., Nathues, Heiko, Steiner, Jörg M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine S-methyltransferase; Age; Amino acids; Chromatography; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Diet; DNA; DNA methylation; Enzymes; Folic acid; Hogs; Homocysteine; Infections; Intracellular; Mass spectrometry; Metabolism; Metabolites; Methionine; Methylmalonic acid; Methylmalonyl-CoA; Methylmalonyl-CoA mutase; Nucleic acids; Scientific imaging; Small intestine; Studies; Swine; Synthesis; Veterinary medicine; Vitamin B; Vitamin B12; Vitamin B9; Weaning
• ISSN: 0034-5288; 1532-2661
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2020.02.002

Folate (vitamin B9) and cobalamin (vitamin B12) play an important role in amino acid metabolism, nucleic acid synthesis, and methyl group transfer. Two intracellular enzymes, methionine synthase and methylmalonyl-CoA mutase, are folate and/or cobalamin-dependent, respectively. At the cellular level, a lack of folate and cobalamin leads to accumulation of serum homocysteine (HCY) and a lack of cobalamin leads to increased methylmalonic acid (MMA) concentrations. Altered serum HCY and MMA concentrations can influence amino acid metabolism and nucleic acid synthesis in pigs. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate serum folate, cobalamin, HCY, and MMA concentrations in postweaning pigs between 6 and 26 weeks of age. Serum samples from 12 pigs collected at week 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 18, 22, and 26 as part of an unrelated study were analyzed. Serum folate (p