Corcoran J
Developmental Biology Research Centre, Randall Institute, London, United Kingdom.
Bioessays. 1998 Jan;20(1):6-8. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1521-1878(199801)20:1<6::AID-BIES3>3.0.CO;2-T.
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are some of the most common human malformations. The vast majority of NTDs can be prevented by the administration of folic acid; however, to date there has been no effective treatment of folic acid-resistant NTDs. A recent paper has confirmed an earlier report that the administration of inositol to the curly tail mutant mouse, which is a model of folate-resistant NTDs, can cure such defects. The molecular pathway by which this is achieved is thought to occur by the up-regulation of the retinoic acid receptor beta in the underlying hindgut endoderm, correcting a proliferation defect. However, alternative explanations also may account for NTDs.
神经管缺陷（NTDs）是一些最常见的人类畸形。绝大多数神经管缺陷可以通过服用叶酸来预防；然而，迄今为止，对于叶酸抵抗性神经管缺陷尚无有效的治疗方法。最近一篇论文证实了早期的一份报告，即给作为叶酸抵抗性神经管缺陷模型的卷尾突变小鼠服用肌醇，可以治愈此类缺陷。实现这一效果的分子途径被认为是通过上调潜在后肠内胚层中的视黄酸受体β，纠正增殖缺陷。然而，其他解释也可能导致神经管缺陷。
