Folate profile in frontal cortex from male human infant decedents

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biochemistry
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Human tissue folate profiles are primarily known for colon mucosa, epidermis, and dermis.
• Recent studies detected unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) in infant rhesus macaque brains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the presence and levels of UMFA and other folates in the human infant brain.
• To hypothesize that human infant brains, similar to infant rhesus macaques, may contain UMFA.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of archived frontal cortex samples from 5 human infant decedents (aged 5-273 days).
• Quantification of tetrahydrofolate (THF), 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), and UMFA using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Main Results:

• All three folates (THF, 5-MTHF, UMFA) were detected in every analyzed frontal cortex sample.
• THF was the most abundant folate, followed by 5-MTHF and UMFA, which had similar mean concentrations.
• Two infant samples showed UMFA concentrations twice as high as 5-MTHF.

Conclusions:

• The human infant brain contains THF, 5-MTHF, and UMFA, with THF being the predominant form.
• The presence of significant UMFA levels in some infants warrants further investigation into folate metabolism and status during early development.