Pyridostigmine administration in newborn rats prevents permanent mental ill-effects produced by maternal deprivation.
Maternal deprivation from Day 3 to Day 14 of life, i.e., separation of the pups from their mother animals during this developmental period for 16 hours each day, gave rise to highly significantly decreased learning capability and memory capacity in adulthood associated with significantly decreased acetylcholinesterase activity in the brain. These permanent ill-effects of the brain, produced by maternal deprivation of newborn rats, could be prevented by the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor pyridostigmine when administered from Day 1 to Day 14 of life. In view of these findings, teratogenic mental ill-effects, produced by psychosocial and/or nutritional deprivation during brain development, appear to be preventable by correcting abnormal neurotransmitter concentrations during this critical period of brain organization.
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide