title: Malnutrition during brain growth spurt alters the effect of fluoxetine on aggressive behavior in adult rats.
abstract: Malnutrition effect during the suckling period on aggressive behavior was investigated in adult rats treated and not treated with fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Sixty-four Wistar male rats were allocated in two groups, according to their mothers' diet during lactation. The well-nourished group was fed by mothers receiving a 23% protein diet; the malnourished one by mothers receiving a 8% protein diet. Following weaning, all rats received the 23% protein diet. On the 90th day after birth, each nutritional group was divided into two subgroups, one receiving a single daily injection of fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) and the other of a saline solution (0.9% NaCl) for 14 days. Treatment with Fluoxetine reduced aggressive response in well-nourished but not in malnourished rats. These findings suggest that the serotoninergic system was affected by malnutrition during the critical period of brain development, and persisted even after a long period of nutritional recovery.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Cidade Universitária, 50670-901, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Barreto-Medeiros
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Feitoza
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Magalhaes
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cabral-Filho
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Manhaes-De-Castro
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: De-Castro
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manhaes-De-Castro
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development*; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000523:psychology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D005473:Fluoxetine