BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 September 2015 Exogenous folic acid is not able to inhibit the effects of methotrexate on the folate pathway in zebrafish embryos
Jessica Jacabacci, Michael Guzzardi, Teresa G. D'Aversa
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Methotrexate (Mtx) is a teratogen that causes severe abnormalities on developing fetuses. Mtx is also used for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and leukemia. Folic acid (FA), a B vitamin that is present in prenatal vitamins, and Mtx use the same cellular pathway to cause their effects on organisms. It is of great interest to determine whether FA can overcome the effects of Mtx on a developing embryo. Since Mtx is a competitive inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase, the enzyme used to make FA; it is hypothesized that an increase in FA will overcome the inhibitory effects of Mtx. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were treated with Mtx and/or FA and then analyzed for developmental irregularities. These data demonstrate that FA cannot rescue the embryos from the teratogenicity of Mtx. Combined treatment enhanced the developmental abnormalities seen, indicating that exogenous FA cannot be used as a mechanism to overcome the teratogenic effects of Mtx.

Copyright Beta Beta Beta Biological Society
Jessica Jacabacci, Michael Guzzardi, and Teresa G. D'Aversa "Exogenous folic acid is not able to inhibit the effects of methotrexate on the folate pathway in zebrafish embryos," BIOS 86(3), 125-133, (1 September 2015). https://doi.org/10.1893/BIOS-D-14-00027.1
Received: 20 June 2014; Accepted: 1 October 2014; Published: 1 September 2015
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top