Cerebral vascular dysfunction in methionine synthase-deficient mice

• Published in: Circulation (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2005-08, Vol.112 (5), p.737-744
• Main Authors: DAYAL, Sanjana, DEVLIN, Angela M, MCCAW, Ryan B, LIU, Mei-Lan, ARNING, Erland, BOTTIGLIERI, Teodoro, SHANE, Barry, FARACI, Frank M, LENTZ, Steven R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate-Homocysteine S-Methyltransferase - deficiency; 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate-Homocysteine S-Methyltransferase - genetics; Animals; Aorta - drug effects; Aorta - physiology; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cerebrovascular Disorders - enzymology; Cerebrovascular Disorders - genetics; Diseases of the peripheral vessels. Diseases of the vena cava. Miscellaneous; Genetic Carrier Screening; Homocysteine - blood; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Nervous system; Oxidative Stress; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Vasodilation - drug effects
• ISSN: 0009-7322; 1524-4539
• DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.104.529248

Methionine synthase (MS) catalyzes the folate-dependent remethylation of homocysteine to methionine. We tested the hypothesis that deficiency of MS impairs endothelial function in mice heterozygous for disruption of the Mtr gene, which encodes MS. Plasma total homocysteine was similar in wild-type (Mtr(+/+)) and heterozygous (Mtr(+/-)) mice fed a control diet (4.5+/-0.3 and 5.3+/-0.4 micromol/L, respectively) and mildly elevated in Mtr(+/+) and Mtr(+/-) mice fed a low-folate (LF) diet (7.5+/-0.7 and 9.6+/-1.2 micromol/L, respectively; P