A study conducted on zebrafish highlights the essential role played by vitamin E in the proper development of the brain and nervous system.
- Conducted on zebrafish embryos, the study shows that a vitamin E deficiency does not allow normal development of the brain, peripheral nervous system and certain organs.
Naturally present in fatty foods of plant origin such as sunflower oil, hazelnut, rapeseed or olive oil, as well as in certain oilseeds such as almonds, vitamin E is renowned for its antioxidant action and its protective effect against cardiovascular disease.
According to a new study, conducted by scientists at Oregon State University (USA) on zebrafish embryos, it is also essential for the brain and nervous system to develop without anomaly. Posted in Scientific Reportsthis new work shows that fish deficient in vitamin E have malformed brains and nervous systems. “It’s absolutely unbelievable, the brain is absolutely physically deformed from the lack of vitamin E”explains Maret Traber, professor at Oregon State University and lead author of the work.
Abnormalities on the neural crest
Zebrafish are a small freshwater species widely used in research because they share an amazing resemblance to humans at molecular, genetic and cellular levels. The two species share 70% of their genes. In addition, its embryonic state is of particular interest because it is a fish that develops quickly (5 days), is transparent and easy to care for.
It was therefore easy for scientists to see in zebrafish where the brain is formed and how vitamin E plays a role in its development.
They were able to notice that in the embryo, an outline of a cerebral organ (the “primordium”) and a neural tube appear early, will form the nervous system and innervate all the organs and structures of the body. Without vitamin E, the zebrafish embryos had neural tube defects and brain defects. These anomalies are similar to those observed on the neural tube with a deficiency of folic acid, explains Professor Traber. “Now we have images that show the abnormalities of the neural tube and the brain and that vitamin E is found at the edges of the cells that form the brain”she adds.
These cells make up the neural crest and are involved in creating facial bones and cartilage, and innervate the body, building the peripheral nervous system. They act “like stem cells”and are “important for the brain, the spinal cord”and the development of other organs such as the heart and liver. “By causing these cells to have problems with vitamin E deficiency, the whole formation of the embryo is deregulated. It is not surprising that we are witnessing the death of embryos in the event of vitamin E deficiency. Vitamin E.”
Find the genes involved
Scientists’ research is not yet complete. Their next goal is to determine which genes are present in zebrafish susceptible to vitamin E deficiency. “We are now at the point where we are so close to being able to tell exactly what is wrong when there is not enough vitamin E, but at the same time we are very far from it because we have not found what are the genes that change. What we know is that vitamin E deficient embryos lived until 24 hours and started to die. At six hours there was no difference, at 12 hours you see the differences but they weren’t killing the animals, and at 24 hours there were dramatic changes that were about to cause the tipping point of total disaster.”
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