title: Effect of experimental hyperphenylalaninemia on the postnatal rat brain.
abstract: The molecular mechanism of the disturbance of brain development caused by phenylketonuria remains mostly unknown. We have studied three molecular markers that reflect the development of neurons, glia and the extracellular matrix of the postnatal rat brain in an animal model of hyperphenylalaninemia, in order to elucidate the possible mechanism by which increased phenylalanine influences brain development. The content of NCAM, GFAP and hyaluronate-binding activity were compared in cerebellum and telencephalon of normal rats and those subjected to high phenylalanine. No statistically significant changes were found in telencephalon when experimental animals were compared to controls. In the hyperphenylalaninemic cerebellum, the developmental dynamic of NCAM content (represented by two peaks at about postnatal days 5 and 22 during normal development) is dramatically altered. The GFAP content in the cerebellum of treated rats exceeded those in controls significantly during late developmental stages (postnatal days 28-35). Hyaluronate-binding activity in the extracellular protein fraction from treated rat cerebellum was increased compared to normal rat at the early stages of development only (postnatal day 7). These results suggest that high serum phenylalanine may lead to permanent brain dysfunction through a disturbance of a wide range of developmental events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Dniepropetrovsk State University, Ukraine.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Ushakova
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Gubkina
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Kachur
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Lepekhin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis*; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000097:blood*; D010661:Phenylketonurias / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D010649:Phenylalanine; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid