Abstract: ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of oral folic acid on myocardial apoptosis of offspring in an experimental model of coxsackievirus B3(CVB3)infection of pregnant rats.MethodsWistar rats were randomly divided into four groups.Female rats in each group were copulated with normal male rats.After natural birth,the hearts of neonates were taken and stored in liquid nitrogen.Myocardial pathological changes were observed for the neonatal rats.Myocardial apoptosis was quantitated with terminal doxynucleotidyl transfernase mediated nick end labeling assay.RT-PCR and western blot were adopted to detect apoptosis associated proteins.ResultsFor the pregnant rats injected with CVB3,the myocardial cell injury was significant in their offspring rats under optical microscopy.The increases in Bax,caspase-3 mRNA(0.951± 0.098,0.960±0.074)and protein(0.608±0.060,0.951±0.038)level were detected in CVB3 group compared with those of folic acid+CVB3 group(0.496±0.076,0.685±0.049;0.854±0.088,0.814±0.097).The expression levels of Bcl-2 mRNA(0.592±0.063)and protein(0.435±0.041)were increased in folic acid+CVB3 group compared with those of CVB3 group(0.350±0.037,0.423±0.051).ConclusionFolic acid supplementation can effectively inhibit myocardial cell apoptosis of the offspring of the rats injected with CVB3.