title: Perinatal undernutrition: changes in brain opiate receptor density.
abstract: The present work sought to study the binding properties of central mu-opiate receptors in whole brain and in different central areas in adult rats undernourished at perinatal age. Rats were undernourished with a hypoproteic diet containing 8% casein from day 14 of gestation until 50 days of age. The animals were thereafter fed a balanced commercial chow until 140 days of age. At this time point the experiments started. 3H-D-Ala2, N-Me-Phe4, Gly5-ol-enkephalin (3H-DAMGO) was used to selectively label the mu-receptors. The results obtained demonstrated that perinatal undernutrition induced, in the adult animal, a decreased mu-receptors density (Bmax) both in whole brain as well as in midbrain, without significant changes in affinity. In addition, no changes were found in mu-specific binding in the cortex of these undernourished animals. Taking into account that recent evidences from our laboratory have demonstrated a lower stress-induced analgesia following exposure to different stressful situations in rats undernourished in early life, the present findings seem to suggest that this lower analgesic response could be due, at least in part, to a lower density of mu-opiate receptors in the brain.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacologia, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Ciudad Universitaria Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kademian
authors.forename: Mariela F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Keller
mesh_terms: D000698:Analgesia; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002364:Caseins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)- / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000378:metabolism*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D014316:Tritium; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-