title: Atrophy and neuron loss: effects of a protein-deficient diet on sympathetic neurons.
abstract: Protein deficiency is one of the biggest public health problems in the world, accounting for about 30-40% of hospital admissions in developing countries. Nutritional deficiencies lead to alterations in the peripheral nervous system and in the digestive system. Most studies have focused on the effects of protein-deficient diets on the enteric neurons, but not on sympathetic ganglia, which supply extrinsic sympathetic input to the digestive system. Hence, in this study, we investigated whether a protein-restricted diet would affect the quantitative structure of rat coeliac ganglion neurons. Five male Wistar rats (undernourished group) were given a pre- and postnatal hypoproteinic diet receiving 5% casein, whereas the nourished group (n = 5) was fed with 20% casein (normoproteinic diet). Blood tests were carried out on the animals, e.g., glucose, leptin, and triglyceride plasma concentrations. The main structural findings in this study were that a protein-deficient diet (5% casein) caused coeliac ganglion (78%) and coeliac ganglion neurons (24%) to atrophy and led to neuron loss (63%). Therefore, the fall in the total number of coeliac ganglion neurons in protein-restricted rats contrasts strongly with no neuron losses previously described for the enteric neurons of animals subjected to similar protein-restriction diets. Discrepancies between our figures and the data for enteric neurons (using very similar protein-restriction protocols) may be attributable to the counting method used. In light of this, further systematic investigations comparing 2-D and 3-D quantitative methods are warranted to provide even more advanced data on the effects that a protein-deficient diet may exert on sympathetic neurons. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
authors: Laboratory of Stochastic Stereology and Chemical Anatomy, Department of Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Silvio Pires
authors: SP
authors: Gomes
authors: Jens Randel
authors: JR
authors: Nyengaard
authors: Rúbia
authors: R
authors: Misawa
authors: Priscila Azevedo
authors: PA
authors: Girotti
authors: Patrìcia
authors: P
authors: Castelucci
authors: Francisco Hernandez Javier
authors: FH
authors: Blazquez
authors: Mariana Pereira
authors: MP
authors: de Melo
authors: Antonio Augusto Coppi
authors: AA
authors: Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001284:Atrophy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D048429:Cell Size; D005260:Female; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000502:physiology*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009929:Organ Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D020738:Leptin; D014280:Triglycerides