TITLE:
Effects of Neonatal Undernutrition on Development of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Pyramidal Cells in the Rat
AUTHORS:
Carmen Torrero, Mirelta Regalado, Lorena Rubio, Manuel Salas
KEYWORDS:
Neonatal Undernutrition; Prefrontal Cortex Development; Stressed Rats
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science,
Vol.4 No.1,
January
24,
2014
ABSTRACT: The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) of the rat
plays a role in the encoding of neuronal signals involved in conflict-induced
behavioral adjustment, working memory, planning and executive abilities,
attentional control and other cognitive responses. In altricial species, early
perinatal undernutrition interferes with the morphofunctional organization of a
number of central nervous system (CNS) structures including the prefrontal
cortex. The effects of neonatal undernutrition on dendritic arbor density,
perikaryon measurements, and the number of spines (detected by rapid-Golgi) of
basilar dendritic segments in layer III pyramidal neurons of the dlPFC were
examined in male Wistar rats on postnatal (PDs) 12, 20, and 30. In the underfed
(U) subjects the distal portions of the dendritic arbors had a consistent
hipoplasia, mainly on PD 30, with reduced cross sectional area, perimeter, and
spine densities on the basilar dendrites on all days studied. Thus, the
alterations of the dlPFC pyramidal neurons may interfere with the plastic
synaptic activity and cognitive performance of rats subjected to the stress of
early underfeeding. Characterizing these anatomical alterations may help to
understand the disrupted cognitive processes associated with neonatal
undernutrition.