RT Journal Article
T1 Vitamin C Deficiency Reduces Neurogenesis and Proliferation in the SVZ and Lateral Ventricle Extensions of the Young Guinea Pig Brain
A1 Jara, Nery
A1 Cifuentes-Rueda, Manuel
A1 Martínez, Fernando
A1 González-Chavarría, Ivan
A1 Salazar, Katerine
A1 Ferrada, Lucas
A1 Nualart, Francisco
K1 Vitamina C - Efectos fisiológicos
AB Although scurvy, the severe form of vitamin C deficiency, has been almost eradicated, the prevalence of subclinical vitamin C deficiency is much higher than previously estimated and its impact on human health might not be fully understood. Vitamin C is an essential molecule, especially in the central nervous system where it performs numerous, varied and critical functions, including modulation of neurogenesis and neuronal differentiation. The subventricular zone (SVZ) is the neurogenic niche where the largest number of new neurons are born; however, the effect of vitamin C deficiency on neurogenesis in this key region of the adult brain is unknown. Therefore, through BrdU labeling, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, we analyzed the proliferation and cellular composition of the SVZ and the lateral ventricle (LVE) of adult guinea pigs exposed to a vitamin-C- deficient diet for 14 and 21 days. We found that neuroblasts in the SVZ and LVE were progressively and significantly decreased as the days under vitamin C deficiency elapsed. The neuroblasts in the SVZ and LVE decreased by about 50% in animals with 21 days of deficiency; this was correlated with a reduction in BrdU positive cells in the SVZ and LVE. In addition, the reduction in neuroblasts was not restricted to a particular rostro–caudal area, but was observed throughout the LVE. We also found that vitamin C deficiency altered cellular morphology at the ultrastructural level, especially the cellular and nuclear morphology of ependymal cells of the LVE. Therefore, vitamin C is essentialfor the maintenance of the SVZ cell populations required for normal activity of the SVZ neurogenic niche in the adult guinea pig brain. Based on our results from the guinea pig brain, we postulate that vitamin C deficiency could also affect neurogenesis in the human brain.
PB MDPI
YR 2022
FD 2022-09
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/35866
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/35866
LA eng
NO Jara, N.; Cifuentes, M.; Martínez, F.; González-Chavarría, I.; Salazar, K.; Ferrada, L.; Nualart, F. Vitamin C Deficiency Reduces Neurogenesis and Proliferation in the SVZ and Lateral Ventricle Extensions of the Young Guinea Pig Brain. Antioxidants 2022, 11, 2030. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11102030
NO ONDECYT, grant number 1221147 (to Francisco Nualart)”,“FONDECYT grant number 11170959 (to Nery Jara)”, “CONICYT-PIA, grant number ECM-12 (to Francisco Nualart)”  “FEDER-Andalucía, grant number UMA20-FEDERJA-112
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 21 ene 2026