title: Interaction between pre-weaning undernutrition and post-weaning environmental enrichment on somatic development and behaviour in male and female rats.
abstract: Male and female rats were undernourished from birth to 30 days by restricting access to the lactating mother, and then fed ad libitum. At weaning, underfed and normally suckled controls were permanently housed either in pairs in standard cages or in groups of 10 in 1 m(3) cages containing ladders, ropes etc. Severe undernutrition during suckling followed by 4 months of refeeding, produced some changes in sexual behaviour in adult males (increased ejaculation frequency) but had no effect on behaviour in open field, dark preference or passive avoidance. Differential post-weaning environment produced significant differences in behaviour, irrespective of previous feeding conditions. Enriched animals were more active and exploratory. Females differed from males in the same direction as enriched from standard, and were more responsive to social and housing conditions.
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, IJdijk 28, 1095 KJ Amsterdam The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Anatomy, University of Birmingham, Medical School, Birmingham, Great Britain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McConnell
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, IJdijk 28, 1095 KJ Amsterdam The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Uylings
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, IJdijk 28, 1095 KJ Amsterdam The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Van Oyen
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Institute for Brain Research, IJdijk 28, 1095 KJ Amsterdam The Netherlands.
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Van de Poll