Dendritic Branching of Claustral Neurons in Neonatally Undernourished Rats

Abstract

Golgi-Cox-impregnated neurons of the claustrum were studied in control and undernourished Wistar strain rats at 12, 20, and 40 days of age. A reduced cross-sectional somatic area was observed in the 20-day-old undernourished rats and a significant reduction in the dendritic area was observed in the three ages studied. Dendritic arbor alteration was mainly observed in the number of high order and in the total number of dendritic branches of undernourished rats throughout the study. The data suggest vulnerability of the dendritic claustral growth process during the postnatal period to neonatal undernutrition. These alterations may be associated with telencephalic integrative impairments described in perinatal undernourished rats.

Effects of Neonatal Undernutrition and Binaural Ear Occlusion on Neuronal Development of the Superior Olivary Complex of Rats

“…The finding of neuronal MTB and LSO dendritic arbor alterations associated with neonatal undernutrition and ear binaural occlusion provided new information on the plastic cytoarchitectonic reorganization of the first synaptic relays of the auditory system. Regarding this, the present data agree with the results of other studies showing that visual and somatosensory cues deprivation decreases, while polysensorial stimulation increases the dendritic arborizations of neurons in motor pyramids [39], visual cortex [40,41], claustrum [42], amygdala [8], hippocampus [43], and medial superior olivary neurons [33]. Moreover, there is a sharp increase in the number of spines or dendritic branching after renutrition or ear and eye opening.…”

Early-Life Polysensorial Stimulation and Nutrition: Topographic Levels of Susceptibility in the Rat Visual Cortex

“…Hence the enrich ment of the environment did not alter the rel ative longitude and frequency found in each dendritic order away from the cell body. Simi lar results have been recently reported when comparing the number of dendrites in the claustrum of control and neonatally under nourished rats [40], Our findings indicate that the response to environmental enrichment in the visual cor tex is greater in undernourished rats. This means that impaired pups profit more from the multisensory stimulation than do eutrophic and overnourished subjects.…”

Standardised Parenteral Nutrition

“…Experimental studies in animals have shown that nutrition in the critical period of life can affect brain structure and function irreversibly [11,12]. Postnatal nutrition in rat male pups was shown to affect dendritic branching in certain locations of rat brain, important in regulating attention status and the integration of motor and sensory activity, and this effect persisted in spite of later correction of nutritional deficits [13]. The potential vulnerability of the human brain to early suboptimal nutrition was reported by Lucas et al .…”