Folic Acid Rivals Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reducetase Gene-silencing Effect On Embryonic Palatal Mesenchymal Cell Proliferation And Apoptosis

Objective: Nonsyndromic CLP is composed of two separate entities: cleft lip and palate (CL±P) and cleft palate only (CPO). Cleft lip (CL) with or without cleft palate (CP; CL/P) ranks among the most common birth defects in humans. Our understanding of aetiology and pathogenesis of these birth defects, particularly the non-syndromic variants, remains relatively poor. This is due to the complexity and diversity of the mechanisms through genetic and environmental factors involved in embryogesis Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) maps on the chromosome 1q36 and is a key enzyme of folic acid metabolism. MTHFR knockout mice appearance craniofacial deformity, including NCL/P. Because MTHFR is a key enzyme in folate metabolism, there is evidence that maternal use of a multivitamin with folic acid in early pregnancy reduces the risk of NCL/P. Observational studies suggest that multivitamins may reduce the risk of clefts . Mothers carrying the MTHFR 677TT genotype and...