Affiliations: Center for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration Research, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts–Lowell, MA, USA
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Thomas B. Shea, Center for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration Research, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts–Lowell, MA 01854, USA. Tel.: +1 978 934 2881; Fax: +1 978 934 3044; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: Increased homocysteine has in some cases been linked with an increased incidence of Alzheimer's disease and motor neuron disease. Folate or B12 deficiency increases homocysteine, but controversy exists as to whether their levels also correlate with either disorder. Since their presence within various dietary constituents may confound interpretation, we tested the impact of deprivation of either or both in the closed environment of neuronal cell cultures. Deprivation of either increased cytosolic calcium, reactive oxygen species, intracellular homocysteine, and apoptosis, but deprivation of both fostered substantially larger increases, supporting the notion that both are required for optimal neuroprotection.
