title: Neonatal administration of goat whey modulates memory and cortical spreading depression in rats previously suckled under different litter sizes: Possible role of sialic acid.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Goat whey, a usually discarded byproduct from goat cheese manufacturing, is a good source of sialic acid (SA), an oligosaccharide that is involved in processes such as memory and brain excitability. Here, we investigated in rats the effect of dried goat whey (DGW) on memory and the brain excitability-dependent phenomenon known as cortical spreading depression (CSD). We also provide evidence for the involvement of SA in this effect. In addition, we tested animals under unfavorable suckling conditions to evaluate whether nutritional deficiency would modulate DGW action.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wistar rats were suckled in litters with 9 and 15 pups (groups L9and L15, respectively). From postnatal (P) days 7-14, the animals received per gavage 17.45 g of DGW/kg/day, or SA (20 mg/kg/day or 100 mg/kg/day). At P28-30, we tested the animals' memory in the object recognition paradigm. At P35-45 we recorded CSD and analyze its velocity of propagation, amplitude, and duration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the object recognition test, the L15DGW-treated rats performed better than the L15-controls. The L15rats displayed higher CSD velocities compared with L9groups. The DGW and SA groups exhibited higher CSD velocity than the naïve- and saline-treated controls, regardless the lactation status (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results documented a novel effect of DGW on memory and CSD. SA dose-dependently facilitated CSD, suggesting its involvement on the DGW action. DGW is considered a potential supplement to improve brain development and function in malnourished children, and this shall be further translationally investigated.
authors.affiliation: a Departamento de Nutrição , Univ. Federal de Pernambuco , Recife , PE , Brazil.
authors.forename: Larissa de Brito
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.affiliation: a Departamento de Nutrição , Univ. Federal de Pernambuco , Recife , PE , Brazil.
authors.forename: Suênia Marcele
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Vitor-de-Lima
authors.affiliation: a Departamento de Nutrição , Univ. Federal de Pernambuco , Recife , PE , Brazil.
authors.forename: Regina de Deus
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Lira Benevides
authors.affiliation: b Departamento de Nutrição , Univ. Federal da Paraíba , João Pessoa , PB , Brazil.
authors.forename: Rita de Cássia Ramos
authors.initials: RCR
authors.lastname: do Egypto Queiroga
authors.affiliation: a Departamento de Nutrição , Univ. Federal de Pernambuco , Recife , PE , Brazil.
authors.forename: Rubem Carlos
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Araújo Guedes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002611:Cheese; D013181:Cortical Spreading Depression / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats; D008098:Litter Size; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000067796:Whey / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid
keywords: Brain; Cortical excitability; Goat whey; Malnutrition; Memory; Oligosaccharide; Sialic acid; Spreading depression