Possible Interaction: Folate and Tetrahydrobiopterin

“Vitamin C, folate , and other antioxidants enhance endothelial BH4 bioavailability through chemical stabilization or scavenging of reactive oxygen species, thereby contributing to the maintenance of physiological homeostasis in the endothelium.”

“It is possible that folate , in pharmacological doses, may enhance the NO activity by influencing NO-tetrahydrobiopterin interactions.”

“It is suggested that folate deficiency may impair the synthesis of BH4 , a cofactor essential for the synthesis of 5-HT and other monoamines that are involved in the pathogenesis of affective disorders.”

“ Tetrahydrobiopterin and the folate coenzymes can reciprocally interact in ways that would be useful to the metabolic pathways subserved by both of these coenzymes.”

“The reduced intracellular metabolites of folate have versatile oxidant-scavenging activity that can prevent oxidation of BH4 ; concurrently, these metabolites promote induction of dihydrofolate reductase, which functions to reconvert BH2 to BH4, and hence alleviate the uncoupling of eNOS.”

“With respect to oxidant-mediated uncoupling of eNOS, high-dose folate can help to reverse this by modulating the oxidation status of the eNOS cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4).”