The effect of pre- and postnatal undernutrition on the development of the rat cerebellar cortex. I. Morphological observations.
A morphologic study of the postnatal development of cerebellum in normal and pre- and postnatally undernourished rats was initiated in order to evaluate the effect of undernutrition. Defined areas of the cerebellar hemisphere were studied light-microscopically. Parallel to this study a histochemical investigation was performed on the same cerebellar areas (see part II). It was found that pre- and postnatal undernutrition causes a retarded outgrowth of the apical dendritic tree of the Purkinje cells. Furthermore, undernourished rats displayed a delayed persistence of the external granular layer and a retarded differentiation and migration of presumed basket, stellate and internal granular cells which is in accordance with previous studies on cerebellar development in experimental undernutrition.
D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats