Behavioral and neurochemical changes in folate-deficient mice.
Weanling mice were fed an amino acid-based diet supplemented with 0 or 11.3 mumol folic acid/kg diet for approximately 38 days to study behavior and neurochemistry in folate deficiency. After approximately 5 wk, mice fed the unsupplemented diet weighted approximately 70% as much those fed the supplemented diet. After 2 wk, mice fed the unsupplemented diet consistently discarded (spilled) more food, and after approximately 5 wk, they had spilled 3 times more than mice fed the supplemented diet. Serum folate, brain folate and brain S-adenosylmethionine of mice fed the unsupplemented diet were 4, 53, and 60% as high, respectively, as those of mice fed the supplemented diet. Pathologic changes were not evident in brain, spinal cord, or skeletal muscle of folate-deficient mice. The hypothalamic 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid/serotonin ratio and caudate dopamine, homovanillic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid concentrations were lower in deficient than control mice. Folate-deficient mice develop a behavioral activity, food spilling, which may have a neurochemical basis in the serotonin and dopamine systems.
Gospe
S M
SM
Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis 95616, USA.
Gietzen
D W
DW
Summers
P J
PJ
Lunetta
J M
JM
Miller
J W
JW
Selhub
J
J
Ellis
W G
WG
Clifford
A J
AJ
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology; D012435:S-Adenosylhomocysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology
D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine; D012435:S-Adenosylhomocysteine