Neonatal undernutrition and self-grooming development in the rat: long-term effects.
The effect of neonatal undernutrition on six different self-grooming components was examined in male rats during the pre- and postweaning periods. Rats underfed by the maternal nipple-ligation procedure before weaning did not exhibit significant score differences in the various self-grooming measurements. In contrast, after weaning they showed a significant increment in the duration of face-washing, head-washing, fur licking and body-scratching. In all cases, the total postweaning self-grooming activity was significantly increased in the formerly underfed rats. Present data suggest that neonatal undernutrition may presumably interfere with the sequential maturational processes of central and/or peripheral mechanisms underlying some components of self-grooming behavior.
Salas
M
M
Department of Physiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, D.F. México.
Pulido
S
S
Torrero
C
C
Escobar
C
C
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000523:psychology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006120:Grooming / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains