Effect of prenatal protein malnutrition on long-term potentiation and BDNF protein expression in the rat entorhinal cortex after neocortical and hippocampal tetanization.
Reduction of the protein content from 25 to 8% casein in the diet of pregnant rats results in impaired neocortical long-term potentiation (LTP) of the offspring together with lower visuospatial memory performance. The present study was aimed to investigate whether this type of maternal malnutrition could result in modification of plastic capabilities of the entorhinal cortex (EC) in the adult progeny. Unlike normal eutrophic controls, 55-60-day-old prenatally malnourished rats were unable to develop LTP in the medial EC to tetanizing stimulation delivered to either the ipsilateral occipital cortex or the CA1 hippocampal region. Tetanizing stimulation of CA1 also failed to increase the concentration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the EC of malnourished rats. Impaired capacity of the EC of prenatally malnourished rats to develop LTP and to increase BDNF levels during adulthood may be an important factor contributing to deficits in learning performance having adult prenatally malnourished animals.
Hernández
Alejandro
A
Department of Biology, Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, University of Santiago of Chile, 3363 Avenida Alameda Bernardo O'Higgins, 9170022 Santiago, Chile. ahernand@lauca.usach.cl
Burgos
Héctor
H
Mondaca
Mauricio
M
Barra
Rafael
R
Núñez
Héctor
H
Pérez
Hernán
H
Soto-Moyano
Rubén
R
Sierralta
Walter
W
Fernández
Victor
V
Olivares
Ricardo
R
Valladares
Luis
L
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000172:deficiency; D018728:Entorhinal Cortex / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000378:metabolism; D019579:Neocortex / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor