Enriched housing masks deficits in place navigation induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate.
Monosodium-L-glutamate (MSG)-induced behavioural deficits were examined under two housing conditions. Male Wistar rat pups were cross-fostered at birth and injected with MSG on days 2 to 11 postpartum. Control pups were injected with saline (Sal) of equivalent volume. Following weaning at day 25 the rats were allocated to either "enriched" (EC) or "impoverished" (IC) housing, thus forming four treatment groups: MSG-EC, MSG-IC, Sal-EC, and Sal-IC. Thirty-five days later all rats were tested in the open field and in the place navigation task. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed a significant two-way interaction of the housing x drug variables. While the MSG-IC rats were deficient in the water maze, the performance of the MSG-EC approached that of saline-injected controls. Although the Sal-IC rats developed higher body weights than the Sal-EC rats the MSG-EC and MSG-IC rats did not differ in body weight. The housing by drug treatment interaction was not apparent in the open field.
Saari
M J
MJ
Neuroscience Research Unit, Nipissing University College, North Bay, Ontario, Canada.
Fong
S
S
Shivji
A
A
Armstrong
J N
JN
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000523:psychology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D005971:Glutamates / Q000633:toxicity*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D006799:Housing, Animal; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012970:Sodium Glutamate / Q000633:toxicity*
D005971:Glutamates; D012970:Sodium Glutamate