Effects of early malnutrition and nutritional rehabilitation in rats

Abstract

Objective: to verify the effects of malnutrition and nutritional rehabilitation regarding seizure threshold, body weight and brain weight in rats.Methods: pregnant Wistar rats and their pups were used. Part of the rat pups were submitted to a malnutrition protocol and the rest served as nourished controls. At P15, malnourished and control rats were submitted to status epilepticus induced by flurothyl; and the rehabilitation period started after recovery from seizures. At P30, all rats were submitted to single flurothyl-induced seizures and the threshold was determined. After the seizures, the rats were sacrificed, the brain removed and weighed. Rat pups were weighed daily from age P2 to P30.Results: significant differences as to body weight between malnourished and nourished rats were observed from P5 onwards. At P30, even after nutritional rehabilitation, there were still differences in terms of body weight. Nourished (mean 1.47 g ± 0.17) and male (mean 1.47 g ± 0.16) rats had brain weight slightly higher than that presented by malnourished (mean 1.42 g ± 0.17) and female (mean 1.38 g ± 0.12) rats; however, the difference was not significant. Differences observed in the threshold for the first clonic and tonic seizure at ages P15 and P30 between the groups were not statistically significant.Conclusions: our results suggest that malnutrition does not influence seizure threshold in rat pups submitted to flurothylinduced seizures. Early nutritional rehabilitation seems to have a protective effect on seizure threshold in previously malnourished animals.J Pediatr (Rio J) 2002; 78 (1): 39-44: epilepsy, malnutrition, nutrition rehabilitation. ResumoObjetivos: verificar os efeitos da desnutrição precoce e da reabilitação nutricional em ratos em desenvolvimento, em relação ao limiar para crises convulsivas, peso corporal e peso cerebral.Métodos: foram utilizadas ratas prenhas do tipo Wistar e suas ninhadas. Parte da ninhada foi submetida ao paradigma da desnutrição, e os animais restantes utilizados como controle. Em P15, animais desnutridos e do grupo controle foram submetidos a estado de mal convulsivo e, após recuperação das crises, iniciavam em período de reabilitação nutricional. Em P30, os ratos foram novamente submetidos a crise convulsiva induzida por flurothyl para determinação do limiar convulsivante. Após as crises, os ratos eram sacrificados, tendo o cérebro removido e pesado. A ninhada era pesada diariamente de P2 a P30.Resultados: observamos, a partir de P5, diferença estatisticamente significativa entre o peso corporal dos animais do grupo desnutrido em comparação ao grupo nutrido. O processo de reabilitação nutricional iniciado em P16 foi associado a ascendente ganho ponderal, entretanto a diferença de peso permaneceu até P30. O peso cerebral foi discretamente superior em animais nutridos (média 1,47g ± 0,17) e do sexo masculino (média 1,47 g ± 0,16), entretanto a diferença não foi estatisticamente significativa em relação aos desnutridos (média 1,42 g ± 0,17) ou ao sexo feminino (1,38 g ± 0,12)....

Metabolic effects of early protein undernourishment and renourishment in wistar rats

“…In addition, the body length of the R animals did not approach those of the N animals, even with the long period of dietary change adopted (39 days). Similar findings were demonstrated in Wistar rats and in humans (CASTELUCCI et al, 2002;MONTE, 2000;NUNES et al, 2002). These observations have been attributed to changes in the cell proliferation of bone marrow precursors, which act in response to growth stimuli, causing a loss in development, precisely during the period in which the animal needs the most protein intake (NAKAJIMA et al, 2014).…”

“…Low body weight and growth retardation are the primary reported data in undernourishment animals or humans (MUGERWA, 1971;NUNES et al, 2002;ROMANI;LIRA, 2004;WATERLOW, 1997); when the malnutrition is imposed on the mother this affects especially the intrauterine phase (BRETON et al, 2009;COUPÉ et al, 2009). This data is confirmed in the experimental model used, which showed that undernourished animals had the lowest body weight, in addition to the lowest intake of food and water, and the lowest excretion of urine and feces.…”

“…The delay in growth and development makes the body more susceptible to immune system deficiencies, infections and neuropsychomotor problems, as well as morphological, behavioral and cognitive changes (NUNES et al, 2002). The effect on growth, in particular, is a major focus of attention in children's health, with the anthropometric delay being a major factor in the epidemiological malnutrition data from Brazil and the world (ROMANI;LIRA, 2004;WATERLOW, 1997).…”

Impact of prenatal protein-calorie malnutrition on the odontogenesis of wistar rats

“…After inducing malnutrition in rats, Holloway et al [12] found smaller, undernourished, lighter pups with retarded development (opening of eyes and outer ear). Nunes et al [25] submitted rats to low PCM during their growth, resulting in animals with smaller size and lower weight than animals with a normal diet. Corroborating the findings of these authors, the present study found significant differences in the weight of the animals.…”

Modelos experimentais de desnutrição e sua influência no trofismo cutâneo

“…When pro teins fail to play their struc tu ral and enzy ma tic role, a state of meta bo lic imba lan ce sets in and ane mia, hypo vi ta mi no sis and pro tein-energy mal nu tri tion may deve lop in the indivi dual, this lat ter con di tion being one of the fore most social pro blems pre va lent in Brazil. 10 Protein-energy mal nu tri tion (PEM) results from ina de qua te diet and is cha rac te ri zed by energy deficiency due to a reduc tion in the inta ke of all macro nutrients and often many micro nu trients. Clinically, PEM is clas si fied into three major syndro mes: maras mus, kwas hior kor or maras mic kwas hior kor, a com bi na tion of the two.…”