ArticlePloS one2026
Folic acid supplementation ameliorates long-term lipid metabolism following intrauterine growth restriction.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThis study emphasizes the potential of folic acid (FA) supplementation in controlling intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR)-induced metabolic problems and improving the long-term health consequences of afflicted individuals.
objectivesThis study investigates the effect of IUGR on long-term lipid metabolism in the liver, and the role of early-life FA supplementation on IUGR-induced metabolic dysfunctions. We aim to provide novel insights for early interventions to prevent the development of lipid metabolism abnormalities in adulthood.
methodsThe IUGR model was induced by feeding pregnant rats a 10% low protein diet. After birth, lactating mothers were provided with a 21% normal protein diet. Offspring were initially breastfed and assigned to either an FA-supplemented diet or a standard diet without FA. Serum levels of total free fatty acids and triglycerides were measured by ELISA. Liver tissues were harvested for Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) to observe the liver structure. The expression of PPARα, Acox1, Acox3 and CPT1 in the liver tissues was analyzed using Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western Blot (WB).
resultsLevels of serum triglycerides (TG) and free fatty acids (FFA) were significantly higher in IUGR rats compared to control rats from the early stages and remained elevated through to 90 days of age. The HE results displayed an irregular arrangement of hepatocytes at birth in IUGR rats, and hepatocellular vacuoles by 90 days of age in the IUGR rats. The level of lipid-related genes was significantly low in the IUGR group, including PPARα, Acox1, Acox3 and CPT1. Early postnatal folic acid supplementation significantly decreased serum levels of TG and FFA, ameliorated the pathological changes in the livers and reversed the expression of lipid-related genes.
conclusionsIUGR individuals are predisposed to lipid metabolism abnormalities in adulthood, which can be ameliorated by postnatal supplementation of FA, potentially serving as a therapeutic method.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.