Wa. Debassio et al., EFFECT OF PRENATAL PROTEIN-DEPRIVATION ON POSTNATAL GRANULE CELL GENERATION IN THE HIPPOCAMPAL DENTATE GYRUS, Brain research bulletin, 41(6), 1996, pp. 379-383
The effect of prenatal malnutrition, produced by protein deprivation,
on postnatal neurogenesis of granule cells in the fascia dentata of th
e rat hippocampal formation was examined by injecting tritiated thymid
ine on P8 and P15 and sacrificing the pups on P30, or by injecting on
P30 and sacrificing on P90. The number of labeled granule cells was si
gnificantly decreased in prenatally malnourished rats injected on P8,
and unaffected in those injected on P15. In contrast, the number of la
beled granule cells in prenatally malnourished rats was significantly
increased in animals injected on P30. The study shows that prenatal ma
lnutrition significantly alters the postnatal pattern of granule cell
neurogenesis in rat hippocampal formation and that the effect persists
despite nutritional rehabilitation at birth. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsev
ier Science Inc.