title: Large litters rearing changes brain expression of GLUT3 and acetylcholinesterase activity in adult rats.
abstract: Effects of malnutrition in the brain are more pronounced during the period of growth spurt, corresponding to the suckling in rodents. Neuronal glucose transporter GLUT3 expression and acetylcholinesterase activity were studied in the brain of adult young rats (84 days old) suckled in litters formed by 6 (control group) or 12 pups (malnourished group). In the adult rats, brain weight, blood glucose levels and GLUT3 expression were decreased in malnourished group (5%, 18%, 58%, respectively, P<0.001, Student's t test) compared to the control. Increased activity of acetylcholinesterase was found in cerebral cortex homogenates and a significant interaction (P=0.019, ANOVA two-way, Tukey's test) was found between nutritional state and homogenate fraction. In summary, malnutrition during suckling period decreased GLUT3 expression and increased acetylcholinesterase activity in the rat brain that could contribute to possible cognitive deficits and changes of brain metabolic activity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Eletrofisiologia e Metabolismo Cerebral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vivian Sarmento
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: de Vasconcelos
authors.forename: Sonia Salgueiro
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Rubem Carlos Araújo
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Guedes
authors.forename: Bruno Carneiro
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Bandeira
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ximenes-da-Silva
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000367:Age Factors; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D051274:Glucose Transporter Type 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008098:Litter Size; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D051274:Glucose Transporter Type 3; C495690:Slc2a3 protein, rat; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase