title: Malnutrition-induced changes of responses evoked in the rat prefrontal cortex as revealed by sensitivity to strychnine.
abstract: Susceptibility to strychnine of somatosensory responses evoked in the prefrontal cortex was studied in normal and protein-malnourished rats in three groups. (a) The normal group was from mothers fed a 21% casein diet. (b) The prenatally malnourished group was from mothers fed a 6% casein diet during 5 weeks prior to mating and throughout gestation. (c) The postnatally malnourished group born from dams fed a 6% casein diet throughout the nursing period. At 45 days of age, sensitivity of the responses to 0.5% strychnine sulfate solution was tested by measuring changes in peak-to-peak amplitude. The results showed that cortical neurons of the postnatally protein-restricted group had decreased susceptibility to strychnine, indicating functional disturbances of glycinergic synapses.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000187:drug effects; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013331:Strychnine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013331:Strychnine