Brain serotonin synthesis: reduction in corn‐malnourished rats<sup>1</sup>

Fernstrom, John D.; Hirsch, Madelyn J.

doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.1977.tb10643.x

Cited by 49 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Fernstrom and Lytle (1976) have reported that brain tryptophan levels decrease by 60% and brain serotonin levels by 28% in animals maintained on a cornbased diet. Likewise, Fernstrom and Hirsch (1977) report that the rate of serotonin synthesis in the brain is reduced in corn-fed EARLY PROTEIN MALNUTRITION 379 rats and that this effect is correlated with the amount of tryptophan in the diet. ' Segall and Timeras (1976) have suggested that the serotonin depletion resulting from diets such as corn grits is responsible for the arrested physical growth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of early protein malnutrition on learning in the rat

Remley

Armstrong

Gilman

et al. 1980

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

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Animals were reared on a diet of commercially available corn grits from weaning to approximately 120 days of age. Littermate controls were fed Purina Laboratory Chow. The subjects' learning ability was tested in a two-way active avoidance task and a black-white visual discrimination task. The grits-fed animals did not develop physically and remained as small as weanling rats throughout the study. The data from the learning tasks indicate that there were no differences in learning ability between the protein-malnourished animals and the normallittermates.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of early protein malnutrition on learning in the rat

Remley

Armstrong

Gilman

et al. 1980

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

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“…7). Because the enzymes on the initial steps of amine syntheses are not normally saturated with their amino acid substrates, the avail ability of precursors from the circulation be comes the main determinant of the rate of formation of serotonin (8,9) and noradrena line (10. 11).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Oral Contraceptives on Tryptophan and Tyrosine Availability: Evidence for a Possible Contribution to Mental Depression

Møller¹

1981

Neuropsychobiology

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The plasma concentrations of branched-chain and aromatic amino acids, free tryptophan, and kynurenine have been determined in oral contraceptive users and comparable controls. There were no differences between progestogen users and controls in either of the biochemical measurements. The estrogen-progestogen users showed elevated plasma levels of total tryptophan and decreased levels of tyrosine. Mestranol was less potent than ethinylestradiol on the effect on plasma tyrosine. There was a clear trend that the incidence of adverse reactions was related to the decrease in tyrosine levels. The plasma ratio of tryptophan to competing amino acids was increased in the estrogen-progestogen users, whereas the ratio of tyrosine to competitors was severely decreased suggesting a decreased brain tyrosine concentration. It is suggested that a substrate-limited reduction in brain noradrenaline synthesis may contribute to the occurrence of depressive symptoms in susceptible individuals on estrogen-progestogen contraceptives.

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“…Previous communications from our laboratory have shown that the low concentration of TRY in the diet offered to adult female rats determines a reduction of brain 5-HT synthesis in their progeny when healthy rats are fed this diet since pre-mating, during pregnancy and nursing periods, and from weaning till progeny reaches 60 postnatal days [6,20]. Although various parameters related to central nervous system structure and function have been communicated in these works and by other authors [7][8][9], no studies have been designed to explore seizure susceptibility.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Corn protein is among the most deficient in TRY and lysine of all proteins normally ingested by humans. Administering this diet to rats determines low brain concentration of 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels, which might at least partially reflect a decrease in 5-HT formation as result of its substrate deficiency [5,7,8], probably altering the postnatal development of brain microneurons. In these conditions, the circuit formation and function which are essential to establish the delicate balance between inhibitory and excitatory activities in critical brain structures, such as dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation, cerebellar and cerebral cortices are thus altered.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Employing an animal model for malnutrition characterized by substantial reduction in the brain levels of tryptophan (TRY), serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) [5][6][7][8], we have reported a reduction in the number of GABAergic [9] and serotonergic [10] nerve cells in cerebral cortex and raphe nuclei, respectively. Corn protein is among the most deficient in TRY and lysine of all proteins normally ingested by humans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Low Tryptophan and Protein in the Diet During Development Increase the Susceptibility to Convulsions in Adult Rats

et al. 2008

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Tryptophan (TRY) is the precursor for serotonin (5-HT) synthesis. Common maize has low protein content with low concentration of TRY and lysine. A diet based on two strains of corn differing in their TRY content were given to adult female rats, prior mating, during pregnancy and lactation. Same diets were offered to their male offspring after weaning until reaching 60-days old. The pattern and severity of the convulsive phenomenon induced by monosodium glutamate (MSG) in a well established model of Status epilepticus were evaluated in comparison with data from animals of two control groups: (a) rats fed a hypoproteic (8% protein) diet, and (b) rats fed a normal Purina chow diet (23% protein). Significant increased susceptibility to convulsions was observed in both groups of rats fed the corn-based diets. However, the animals fed the common corn-based diet (8-9% protein; 0.058% TRY) showed a higher susceptibility to convulsions than what was registered in animals fed a Quality Protein Maize (QPM)-based diet (8-9% protein; 0.1% TRY). It is concluded that low TRY concentration in the diet during development, produces lower rate of brain 5-HT synthesis, affecting development and maturation of GABAergic inhibitory cortical interneurons, with alteration of cortical excitability, contributing in part, to the increased susceptibility to convulsions, as shown in the experiments here reported.

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Brain serotonin synthesis: reduction in corn‐malnourished rats¹

Cited by 49 publications

References 14 publications

Effects of early protein malnutrition on learning in the rat

Effects of early protein malnutrition on learning in the rat

Effect of Oral Contraceptives on Tryptophan and Tyrosine Availability: Evidence for a Possible Contribution to Mental Depression

Low Tryptophan and Protein in the Diet During Development Increase the Susceptibility to Convulsions in Adult Rats

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Brain serotonin synthesis: reduction in corn‐malnourished rats1

Cited by 49 publications

References 14 publications

Effects of early protein malnutrition on learning in the rat

Effects of early protein malnutrition on learning in the rat

Effect of Oral Contraceptives on Tryptophan and Tyrosine Availability: Evidence for a Possible Contribution to Mental Depression

Low Tryptophan and Protein in the Diet During Development Increase the Susceptibility to Convulsions in Adult Rats

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Brain serotonin synthesis: reduction in corn‐malnourished rats¹