Deficient Vitamin E Uptake During Development Impairs Neural Tube Closure in Mice Lacking Lipoprotein Receptor SR-BI

Sci Rep. 2017 Jul 12;7(1):5182. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-05422-w.

Abstract

SR-BI is the main receptor for high density lipoproteins (HDL) and mediates the bidirectional transport of lipids, such as cholesterol and vitamin E, between these particles and cells. During early development, SR-BI is expressed in extraembryonic tissue, specifically in trophoblast giant cells in the parietal yolk sac. We previously showed that approximately 50% of SR-BI-/- embryos fail to close the anterior neural tube and develop exencephaly, a perinatal lethal condition. Here, we evaluated the role of SR-BI in embryonic vitamin E uptake during murine neural tube closure. Our results showed that SR-BI-/- embryos had a very low vitamin E content in comparison to SR-BI+/+ embryos. Whereas SR-BI-/- embryos with closed neural tubes (nSR-BI-/-) had high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), intermediate ROS levels between SR-BI+/+ and nSR-BI-/- embryos were detected in SR-BI-/- with NTD (NTD SR-BI-/-). Reduced expression of Pax3, Alx1 and Alx3 genes was found in NTD SR-BI-/- embryos. Maternal α-tocopherol dietary supplementation prevented NTD almost completely (from 54% to 2%, p < 0.001) in SR-BI-/- embryos and normalized ROS and gene expression levels. In sum, our results suggest the involvement of SR-BI in the maternal provision of embryonic vitamin E to the mouse embryo during neural tube closure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers
  • CD36 Antigens / deficiency*
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Embryonic Development* / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Neural Tube / embryology*
  • Neural Tube / metabolism*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Vitamin E / metabolism*
  • Yolk Sac / embryology
  • Yolk Sac / metabolism
  • alpha-Tocopherol / administration & dosage

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • CD36 Antigens
  • Vitamin E
  • alpha-Tocopherol