Prenatal protein malnutrition decreases mossy fibers-CA3 thorny excrescences asymmetrical synapses in adult rats.
Prenatal protein malnutrition has deleterious effects on hippocampal structure and function that likely result from decreased synapse number. We thus evaluated long-term effects of prenatal protein malnutrition on the mossy fibers-CA3 thorny excrescences asymmetrical synapses in 220-day-old rats. Protein malnourished rats born from pregnant dams fed with 6% casein diet were cross-fostered to lactating control rats at birth. Control animals were fed with a 25% casein diet. Timm's stained material was used to estimate the total reference volume of the mossy fiber system suprapyramidal bundle by means of stereology. The mossy fiber-CA3 asymmetrical synapse numerical density was obtained by electron microscopy, using the physical disector method. The total number of mossy fiber-CA3 asymmetrical synapses was determined on the basis of the total reference volume of the mossy fiber system suprapyramidal bundle and the mossy fiber-CA3 asymmetrical synapse numerical density. Prenatal protein malnutrition produced long-lasting, significant decreases in the volume of the mossy fiber system suprapyramidal bundle and in the numerical density of mossy fiber-CA3 asymmetrical synapse, suggesting a reduction in the total number of this synapse type. Hence, prenatal protein malnutrition induces long lasting deleterious effects on the progression of developmental programs controlling synaptogenesis and/or synaptic consolidation, likely by affecting a myriad of cellular processes.
Granados-Rojas
Leticia
L
División de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría S.S., México, D.F. 04530, Mexico. granados@calli.cnb.unam.mx
Larriva-Sahd
Jorge
J
Cintra
León
L
Gutiérrez-Ospina
Gabriel
G
Rondán
Adrian
A
Díaz-Cintra
Sofía
S
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002364:Caseins / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005526:Food, Formulated / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D019599:Mossy Fibers, Hippocampal / Q000196:embryology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D010927:Placental Insufficiency / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016622:Silver Staining; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D002364:Caseins