2.
Embryonic Folate Content and Concentration in +ct/+ct and ct/ct Embryos
| Strain | Diet | No. embryos | No. somites Mean (range) | Folate content (pg/embryo) | Folate concentration (pg/mg protein) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +ct/+ct | SD | 18 | 29.8 (26–32) | 8244 ± 445 | 30.1 ± 3.3 |
| FD | 13 | 28.0 (26–32) | 5184 ± 282* | 37.3 ± 1.3 | |
| FD+FA | 5 | 28.8 (26–32) | 13,675 ± 598#* | 49.0 ± 9.2* | |
| ct/ct | SD | 10 | 28.4 (26–32) | 8822 ± 1527 | 28.8 ± 3.2 |
| FD | 14 | 29.1 (26–32) | 5065 ± 419* | 23.4 ± 5.6 | |
| FD+FA | 7 | 28.1 (26–32) | 8877 ± 975# | 56.0 ± 7.9# |
Total folate content (mono- and polyglutamates) was determined in embryos from the standard diet (SD) and folate-deficiency (FD) groups that had reached an equivalent developmental stage (somite-stage matched). Values are given as mean ± SEM. Folate content did not differ between genotypes but was significantly diminished in FD conditions (*p < 0.05 compared with SD). Folate concentration did not differ either between genotypes or dietary groups. Folic acid treatment (FD+FA) resulted in a significant increase in folate content compared with untreated folate-deficient embryos (#p < 0.05 compared with FD).