Effects of postnatal methylmalonate administration on neurobehavioral development of rats.
Administration of methylmalonic acid in rats has been used as a model for methylmalonicacidemia in humans. Nestling Wistar rats of both sexes received 5 injections daily at 3-h intervals (starting at 7:30 a.m.) of saline or methylmalonic acid (MMA, 10 mg/ml) in a volume of 9 microliters/g body weight per injection subcutaneously in the lumbar region from the 5th to the 9th day of life and 11 microliters/g from day 10 to 14. Growth and neuromotor development were assessed by monitoring the following parameters daily in 54 rats: body weight, ear unfolding, incisor eruption, eye opening, righting, palmar grasp, negative geotaxis, cliff avoidance, free-fall righting and startle reflex. The only statistically significant effects of MMA administration were on the day of appearance of the free-fall righting reflex: MMA, 12.44 +/- 1.55 vs 11.0 +/- 0.39 days for saline control (P < 0.05, by two-way ANOVA) and a significant decrease in weight (P < 0.05, by ANOVA with repeated measures). The results suggest that chronic MMA administration to rats has a selective effect on neuromotor development.
Mello
C F
CF
Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brasil.
Somer
J E
JE
Tavaroni
V
V
Graciolli
R
R
Wu
V
V
Torres
G
G
Aguiar
F
F
Wajner
M
M
Wannmacher
C M
CM
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008764:Methylmalonic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012018:Reflex / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
D008764:Methylmalonic Acid