• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.163-174
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• 2007

Folate has received international attention regarding its role in the risk-reduction of birth defects, specifically neural tube defects (NTDs). In 1998 health officials in Canada, like the United States, mandated the addition of folic acid to white flour and select grain product's to increase the folate intake of reproductive-aged women. Subsequent to this initiative there has been an increase in blood folate concentrations in Canada and a 50% reduction in NTDs. Many countries, including Korea, have not mandated folic acid fortification of their food supply. Reasons vary but often include concern over the masking of vitamin $B_{12}$ deficiency, a belief that folate intakes among womenare adequate, low priority relative to other domestic issues, and the philosophy that individuals have the right not to consume supplemental folic acid if they so choose. Prior to folic acid fortification of the food supply in Canada, the folate intakes of women were low, and their blood folate concentrations while not sufficiently low to produce overt signs of folate deficiency (eg. anemia) were inconsistent with a level known to reduce the risk of an NTD-affected pregnancy. The purpose of this article is to describe the role of folate during the periconceptional period, pregnancy, and during lactation. The rationale for, and history of recommending folic acid-containing supplements during the periconceptional period and pregnancy is described as is folic acid fortification of the food supply. The impact of folic acid fortification in Canada is discussed, and unresolved issues associated with this policy described. While the incidence of NTDs in Canada pre-folic acid fortification were seemingly higherthan that of Korea today, blood folate levels of Korean women are strikingly similar. We will briefly explore these parallels in an attempt to understand whether folic acid fortification of the food supply in Korean might be worth consideration.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.203-210
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• 2006

Fumonisins are a group of mycotoxins produced by a pathogen Fusarium verticillioides in infected maize kernels. Consumption of fumonisin-contaminated maize has been implicated in a number of animal and human illnesses, including esophageal cancer and neural tube defects. Since the initial discovery, chemistry, toxicology, and biology of fumonisins as well as the maize-Fusarium pathosystem have been extensively studied. Furthermore, in the past decade, significant progress has been made in terms of understanding the molecular biology of toxin biosynthetic genes. However, there is a critical gap in our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms involved in fumonisin biosynthesis. Here, we review and discuss our current knowledge about the molecular mechanisms by which fumonisin biosynthesis is regulated in F. verticillioides. In addition, we discuss the impact of maize kernel environment, particularly sugar and lipid molecules, on fumonisin biosynthesis.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.253-258
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• 2019

A female English bulldog was gave birth two neonates by cesarean section on the sixty one days after mating, but both neonates were died soon after birth. The bodies of neonates were diagnosed using radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomography and necropsy immediately after death. Both neonates had caudal regression syndrome, butterfly vertebra, hydrocephalus, umbilical hernia, cleft palate and bow-legged hind-limb. At necropsy, neonates had mild fetal anasarca, cleft lip and the skull was remained non-union. At thoracic cavity, only three ribs and thoracic spines were existed and patent ductus arteriosus was found. At abnormal cavity, the renal ectopia was found with abnormal morphology. In the present case, those English bulldog neonates with multiple congenital malformation syndromes seriously suffered vertebral column anomalies and that may induced by neural tube defects in during embryonic period. To prevent congenital malformation occurring in English bulldog, further in depth studies are needed for the breed specific genetic diversity and for the reason of behind genetic abnormality in these breed.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2011

Women's nutrition has received little attention in nutrition programming, even though clinical trials and intervention trials have suggested that dietary improvement or supplementation with several nutrients may improve their health, especially in low-income settings, the main focus of this paper. Most attention so far has focused on how improvements in maternal nutrition can improve health outcomes for infants and young children. Adequate vitamin D and calcium nutrition throughout life may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, and calcium supplementation during pregnancy may reduce preeclampsia and low birth weight. To reduce neural tube defects, additional folic acid and possibly vitamin $B_{12}$ need to be provided to non-deficient women before they know they are pregnant. This is best achieved by fortifying a staple food. It is unclear whether maternal vitamin A supplementation will lead to improved health outcomes for mother or child. Iron, iodine and zinc supplementation are widely needed for deficient women. Multimicronutrient supplementation (MMS) in place of the more common iron-folate supplements given in pregnancy in low-income countries may slightly increase birth weight, but its impact on neonatal mortality and other outcomes is unclear. More sustainable alternative approaches deserve greater research attention.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.983-992
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• 1997

During pregnancy and lactation, folate status is important because folate requirements increase during the periods as well as maternal folate status influences on pregnancy outcome and human milk folate; especially folate deficiency around periconceptional period may induce neural tube defects(NTDs) of fetus. There have been a plenty of evidences that maternal folate status deteriorates during pregnancy of fetus. There have been a plenty of evidences that maternal folate status deteriorates during pregnancy and lactation if folate needed is not sufficiently provided. The Public health Service of the United States recommends all child-bearing is not sufficiently provided. The Public Health Service of the United States recommends all child-bearing women to intake 0.4mg of folate daily, and the Food and Drug Administration the folate status of child-bearing women and to reduce the rate of occurrence of NTDs. Many authors have insisted that the current recommended dietary allowances of folate for Americans are too low to maintain good folate status. There are little data about Korean folate status including pregant and lactating women. A couple of reports indicated that the folate intakes of Korean pregant and lactating women are below the Korean RDAs of folate and serum folate levels of them are subnormal. The authors pregnant and lactating women. Therefore, it is worth to review the assessment methods of folate status of pregnant and lactating women, folate RDAs for them, the relationships between maternal folate status and pregnancy outcome as well as human milk folate, the methods to increase folate intake, and the problems of large dose of folic acid supplementatiion.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.357-363
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• 1998

The teratogenic potential of the anticonvulsant drug phenytoin (PHT) has been well documented both in the human and in the experimental animals. However there are few reports on the effects of PHT on embryonic development in rats in vitro. The present study was performed to evaluate the teratogenic effects of PHT using whole-embryo culture system in rats. Sprague-Dawley rat embryos were explanted on gestational day (GD) 9.5 and cultured for 48 hrs in the immediately centrifuged and heat-inactivated rat serum containing 0,25,50, or $100{\mu}g$ PHT/mL. At the end of culture period the embryos were scored for morphological development according to the procedure of Van Maele-Fabry, and their total protein contents were determined. At 100 ${\mu}$g/mL of culture medium. PHT caused significant reduction in developmental score and protein content of embryos and a high incidence morphological abnormalities (100%). Characteristic malformations included altered yolk and embryonic circulation, craniofacial hypoplasia, neural tube schisis, branchial arch defects, abnormal ratation, and limb bud hypoplasia, among others. There were no adverse effects on embryonic growth and development at concentrations of 25 and 50 ${\mu}$g /mL of culture medium. The results indicated that the dysmorphogenic effect of PHT on cultured embryos is due to a direct interference with embryonic development.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.358-365
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• 2020

To describe how to perform urological evaluation in children with tethered cord syndrome (TCS). Although a common manifestation of TCS is the development of neurogenic bladder in developing children, neurosurgeons often face difficulty in detecting urological problems in patients with TCS. From a urological perspective, diagnosis of TCS in developing children is further complicated due to the differentiation between neurogenic bladder dysfunctions and transient bladder dysfunctions owing to developmental problems. Due to the paucity of evidence regarding evaluation prior to and after untethering, I have shown the purpose and tools for evaluation in my own practice. This may be tailored to the types of neurogenic bladder, developmental status, and risks for deterioration. While the urodynamic study (UDS) is the gold standard test for understanding bladder function, it is not a panacea in revealing the nature of bladder dysfunction. In addition, clinicians should consider the influence of developmental processes on bladder function. Before untethering, UDS should reveal synergic urethral movement, which indicates an intact sacral reflex and lack of TCS. Postoperatively, the measurement of post-void residual urine volume is a key factor for the evaluation of spontaneous voiders. In case of elevation, fecal impaction, which is common in spinal dysraphism, should be addressed. In patients with clean intermittent catheterization, the frequency-volume chart should be monitored to assess the storage function of the bladder. Toilet training is an important sign of maturation, and its achievement should be monitored. Signs of bladder deterioration should be acknowledged, and follow-up schedule should be tailored to prevent upper urinary tract damage and also to determine an adequate timing for intervention. Neurosurgeons should be aware of urological problems related to TCS as well as urologists. Cooperation and regular discussion between the two disciplines could enhance the quality of patient care. Accumulation of experience will improve follow-up strategies.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.240-246
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• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Folic acid supplementation before pregnancy is known to significantly reduce the risk of having a baby with neural tube defects (NTDs). Therefore, it is important for women to be aware of the effects of folic acid supplementation before pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the awareness and preconceptional use of folic acid and to assess the current knowledge about folic acid among low-income pregnant women in Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted in 2012. Five hundred pregnant women were selected from the waiting list for the Nutriplus program implemented in public health centers using a multistage clustered probability sampling design. Data from 439 women were analyzed after excluding ones with incomplete answers. RESULTS: Among women who responded to the questionnaire, 65.6% had heard of folic acid before pregnancy, and 26.4% reported on the preconceptional use of folic acid. Women with a university degree or higher education were more likely to be aware of folic acid and to take folic acid in the preconception period. In a multivariate logistic regression, when age, education level, household income, employment status, gravidity, parity, and folic acid awareness were included in the model, folic acid awareness was a strong predictor of preconceptional folic acid use. As of interview, 85.4% and 77.7% of women were aware of the NTD-preventive role of folic acid and the appropriate time to take folic acid, respectively. The main sources of information on folic acid were healthcare professionals (41.2%), friends and family members (31.2%), and the media (26.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that public health strategies are needed to increase the preconceptional use of folic acid among Korean women.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.120-125
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• 2007

Folate is important for multiple metabolic processes such as nucleic acid synthesis and interconversions, and cell division. Folate deficiency may be a risk factor for several pathologies, such as neural tube birth defects, dementia, and cardiovascular diseases. The objectives of this study were to estimate folate intakes and plasma concentrations of young children living in Kwangju, Korea. Three consecutive 24-h food recalls and fasting blood samples were obtained from 24 boys and 30 girls, aged 2-6 y, living in Kwangju, Korea. The daily folate intake ($mean{\pm}SD$) of the children was $146.7{\pm}73.6{\mu}g$ dietary folate equivalents. No differences in folate intakes were observed by gender ($p{\geq}0.05$). The mean folate intakes of the 2 and 3 y old groups were significantly lower (p<0.05) than those of 5 and 6 y old groups. Over half of subjects consumed $mean{\pm}SD$) of all subjects was $19.2{\pm}8.7nmol/L$, and there was no significant difference by age nor gender ($p{\geq}0.05$). No significant correlation was observed between folate intakes and plasma folate concentrations. One subjeci (1.9%) in this study had a plasma folate concentration <6.8 nmol/L, which is indicative of folate deficiency. Approximately 24% of subjects had plasma folate concentrations of 6.8-13.4 nmol/L, which is representative of marginal folate status. In conclusion, some young children may have less than adequate folate status in Korea.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.137-141
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• 2005

The critical role of folate in the remethylation pathway for methionine synthesis from homocysteine has been well documented. Hyperhomocysteinemia resulting from inadequate folate nutrition has been implicated in increased incidence of macrovascular diseases, colorectal cancer, neural tube defects, etc. Chronic exposure to ethanol impairs folate nutrition and one-carbon metabolism in the liver, which often results in fatty liver due to a defective remetylation process. This study was carried out to investigate the chronic effects of moderate levels of alcohol and dietary folate on plasma homocysteine levels, and on histopathology and biochemical functions of the liver. Rats were raised on experimental diets with three levels of folate (0, 2, 8 mg/kg diet), and 50% ethanol (1.8 ml/kg body weight) was administered intragastically by intubation tubes three times a week for 10 weeks. Plasma homocysteine concentrations were found to be significantly influenced by dietary folate intake and alcohol administration. Among all treatment groups, plasma homocysteine levels were the highest in the animals receiving a combined treatment of folate deficient diet and alcohol administration. Plasma homocysteine concentrations were negatively correlated with folate concentration in the plasma (p<0.01) and liver (p<0.05). Among alcohol treated rats, increase in plasma homocysteine values due to macrovascular and microvascular fatty changes and spotted necrosis were observed more frequently in folate-deficient animals diet than those on folate-adequate and folate supplemented diets in alcohol-treated rats. These results indicate that folate supplementation above the recommended level might be beneficial in the prevention of alcohol-related hyperhomocysteinemia and abnormal histologic changes in the liver.