In trophoblast cells exposed to homocysteine (Hcy) we observed cellular apoptosis and the inhibition of trophoblast functions. Because folate and Hcy, linked in the same metabolic pathway, are inversely related, we investigated the role of folic acid in reversing the Hcy effect in human placenta. In primary trophoblast cells we examined the cytosolic release of cytochrome c, both M30 and termin...

Several neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, or vascular dementia and cognitive impairment, are associated with mild hyperhomocysteinemia. Hyperhomocysteinemia is defined as an increase of the homocysteine (Hcy) level beyond 10 microM. Although the adverse effect of Hcy on neurons is well documented, knowledge about the impact of this amino acid on ...

The pathophysiology of hyperhomocysteinemia in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients includes impaired remethylation of homocysteine (Hcy) to methionine, inhibition of extrarenal Hcy metabolism by uremic solutes, a block in decarboxylation of cysteinesulfinic acid, impaired [adenosylmethionine]/[adenosylhomocysteine] ratio, and a probable impairment of renal Hcy metabolism and excretion. Trea...

High plasma levels of homocysteine (Hcy) promote the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. However, the mechanism by which Hcy mediates neurotoxicity has not been elucidated. We observed that upon incubation with Hcy, the viability of a neuroblastoma cell line Neuro2a declined in a dose-dependent manner, and apoptosis was induced within 48 h. The median effective concentration (EC50) of Hc...

Increased homocysteine (Hcy) level has been implicated as an independent risk factor for various neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD). Hcy has been reported to cause dopaminergic neuronal loss in rodents and causes the behavioral abnormalities. This study is an attempt to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying Hcy-induced dopaminergic neurotoxicity after its chronic s...

OBJECTIVES Homocysteine (HCY) is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, possibly leading to myocardial damage. Cardiac troponin T (TnT), a marker of cardiomyocyte injury, can be detected by high-sensitivity TnT (hsTnT) assay. The current study investigated the relationship between plasma HCY and hsTnT levels in a community-based population. METHODS We related plasma lev...

BACKGROUND Homocysteine (Hcy) plays an important role in vascular function and Hcy level contributes to pathogenesis of ischemic stroke (IS). MTHFR gene polymorphism may have effects on IS risks by influencing the Hcy metabolic pathway. In the present study, a case-control study was designed to evaluate the relationship among MTHFR C677Tpolymorphism, plasma Hcy level, and susceptibility of IS i...

Introduction: High levels of homocysteine (Hcy) might accelerate dopaminergic cell death through oxidative stress and excitotoxicity. Folate plays an important role in the control of plasma levels of Hcy. In this study, effect of supplementation with folic acid on the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced Parkinsonism in rat and also serum level of Hcy was investigated. Methods: Rats were fed ...

Hyperhomocysteinemia and increased red cell distribution width (RDW) are associated with a higher possibility of adverse clinical outcomes of hypertension. The study aims to validate the effect of homocysteine (Hcy) and RDW on cardiovascular events (CVE) and investigate whether RDW is independently associated with serum Hcy in patients with essential hypertension (EH). The study reviewed 804 pa...

Hyperhomocysteinemia is an established cause of defective vasorelaxation. Gene expression screening of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) treated with homocysteine (Hcy) revealed that connexin43 (Cx43) was upregulated. Expression of Cx43 was increased more than twofold in Hcy-treated HUVEC. Gap junctional communication (Lucifer yellow and whole cell patch clamp) was not enhanced in ...