Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Jan 27.
Published in final edited form as: Am J Psychiatry. 2018 Mar 21;175(7):607–619. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17070836

Table 2.

Mechanistic Studies of Prenatal Interventions

Supplement Effect Model Mechanism
Folic Acid Increased neuronal Development Deficiency lowers Stat3, allowing increased neurite outgrowth (93)
Imprinting of maternal genes Biochemical role in one-carbon metabolism and methylation of DNA (53)
Phosphatidylcholine Development of inhibitory neurotransmission Activation of α7-nicotinic receptors induces the chloride transporter
NKCC1, establishing a chloride gradient for
GABA inhibition (101); effects blocked in CHRNA7 null mice (100,101)
Omega-3-fatty acids Anti-seizure effect in ketogenic diet but could also affect synapse formation in development Accelerates inactivation and retards recovery of sodium and calcium channels in vitro, which decreases neuronal excitation (94)
Reduces pre-term birth Reduces prostaglandin E2 and F2α in uterine decidual cells (95)
Vitamin D Neuronal Development Interacts with Nurr1 to support development of dopamine neurons (106); activates low voltage (L-type calcium channels to increase neurofilament phosphorylation (107)