title: Prenatal protein level impacts homing behavior in Long-Evans rat pups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study assessed the effect of varying prenatal protein levels on the development of homing behavior in rat pups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Long-Evans rats were fed one of the four isocaloric diets containing 6% (n = 7 litters), 12% (n = 9), 18% (n = 9), or 25% (n = 10) casein prior to mating and throughout pregnancy. At birth, litters were fostered to well-nourished control mothers fed a 25% casein diet during pregnancy, and an adequate protein diet (25% casein) was provided to weaning. On postnatal days 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13, homing behaviors, including activity levels, rate of successful returns to the nest quadrant and latencies to reach the nest over a 3-minute test period were recorded from two starting positions in the home cage. Adult body and brain weights were obtained at sacrifice (postnatal day 130 or 200).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Growth was impaired in pups whose mothers were fed a 6% or, to a lesser extent, a 12% casein diet relative to pups whose mothers were fed the 18 and 25% casein diets. The 6 and 12% prenatal protein levels resulted in lower activity levels, with the greatest reduction on postnatal day 13. However, only the 6% pups had reduced success and higher latencies in reaching the nest quadrant when compared with pups from the three other nutrition groups. Latency in reaching the nest quadrant was significantly and negatively associated with adult brain weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Home orientation is a sensitive measure of developmental deficits associated with variations in prenatal protein levels, including levels of protein deficiency that do not lead to overt growth failure.
authors.affiliation: a Judge Baker Children's Center and Department of Psychiatry , Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , University of New Hampshire , Durham , NH , USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McGaughy
authors.affiliation: a Judge Baker Children's Center and Department of Psychiatry , Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biological Sciences , University of New England , Biddeford , ME , USA.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Weissner
authors.affiliation: d Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology , Boston University Medical Campus , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.affiliation: d Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology , Boston University Medical Campus , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Rosene
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biological Sciences , University of New England , Biddeford , ME , USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Mokler
authors.affiliation: e Department of Biostatistics , Harvard School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA.|f Laboratory for Psychiatric Biostatistics , McLean Hospital , Belmont , MA , USA.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Fitzmaurice
authors.affiliation: a Judge Baker Children's Center and Department of Psychiatry , Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Galler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002364:Caseins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018753:Diet, Protein-Restricted / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006702:Homing Behavior; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D018812:Paternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D004044:Dietary Proteins
keywords: Homing behavior; Malnutrition; Prenatal protein; Protein deficiency; Rats