THE EFFECTS OF UNDERNUTRITION ON CONNECTIVITY IN THE CEREBELLAR CORTEX OF ADULT-RATS

The effects of a 30 d period of undernutrition, followed in some anima ls by nutritional rehabilitation, on neuronal connectivity in adult ra t cerebellum were investigated using the disector method. There was no significant difference between well fed (719+/-74, mean+/-S.E.) and u ndernourished (709+/-53) synapse-to-neuron ratios in 134-d-old rat cer ebellar cortex, nor was there a significant difference in synapse-to-n euron ratios between control animals (941+/-71) and previously underno urished rats (813+/-42) at 175 d of age. However, the age-related chan ges were significant (P < 0.05) in the controls, but not in the experi mental group. It may be that the period of undernutrition caused subtl e changes in the rehabilitating group which reduced the capacity for g rowth seen in well fed, matched control animals.