Choline Availability Modulates the Expression of TGFβ1 and Cytoskeletal Proteins in the Hippocampus of Developing Rat Brain

Choline availability influences long-term memory in concert with changes in the spatial organization and morphology of septal neurons, however little is known concerning the effects of choline on the hippocampus, a region of the brain also important for memory performance. Pregnant rats on gestational day 12 were fed a choline control (CT), choline supplemented (CS), or choline deficient (CD) diet for 6 days and fetal brain slices were prepared on embryonic day 18 (El8). The hippocampus in these brain slices was studied for the immunohistochemical localization of the growth-related proteins transforming growth factor beta type 1 (TGFβ1) and GAP43, the cytoskeletal proteins vimentin and microtubule associated protein type 1 (MAP1), and the neuronal cell marker neuron specific enolase (NSE). In control hippocampus, there was weak expression of TGFβ1 and vimentin proteins, but moderately intense expression of MAP1 protein. These proteins were not homogeneously distributed, but were preferentially localized to cells with large cell bodies located in the central (≍CA1–CA3) region of the hippocampus, and to the filamentous processes of small cells in the fimbria region. Feeding a choline-supplemented diet decreased, whereas a choline-deficient diet increased the intensity of immunohistochemical labeling for these proteins in El8 hippocampus. GAP43 and NSE were localized to peripheral nervous tissue but not hippocampus, indicating that the maturation of axons and neurite outgrowth in embryonic hippocampus were unaffected by the availability of choline in the diet. These data suggest that the availability of choline affects the differentiation of specific regions of developing hippocampus.