Prenatal protein malnutrition affects avoidance but not escape behavior in the elevated T-maze test

Programming the brain: Common outcomes and gaps in knowledge from animal studies of IUGR

“…= [214] ↓4-23% [79,87,88,[93][94][95][96] = [201,215] ↓7-52% [91,92,[97][98][99][100][101]216] ↓9.5-14% [83,89] = [84] ↓[128, 129,131,146] ↓8-40% [99,112,114,115,160,203,217,218] ↓36-42% [145,162] ↓18-44% [102, 116-118, 163, 212] ↓42-48% [122,124,125] ↓17-28% [132,[134][135][136][137][138][139][140][141] Brain size = [214] ↓cerebrum, 11% [79] ↓11-66% [90,…”

“…Behavioural anxiety = male pups [79] =/↑ adult males [93,94] ↓ adults [98,216] ↑ reactivity to physical restraint and surprise, adults [84] ↑ adolescent females = adolescent males [131] ↑ adults [117] ↑ low birth weight female lambs [150] Spontaneous ambulation = adult males [94,95] ↑ females [165] ↑ in isolation tasks, adults [84] ↑ adults [113][114][115] ↓ adult males [160] ↓ Hyperactivity ↑ adult females [165] ↑adults [113][114][115] Exploratory behaviour ↑adult females [216] ↑adults [113][114][115] ↓ adults [117,163] Response to novelty ↓novelty seeking, adults [84] = adults [113] …”

“…Differing types of nutrient restriction have 156 been utilised, particularly in rats, with some restricting dietary protein, while others impose global nutrient restriction accounts in part for variable reductions in birth weight (Table 2). These range 159 from 4 to 34% in progeny of globally nutrient-restricted rats [79,87,88,[93][94][95][96], whilst more severe 160 restriction is seen in models of maternal protein restriction, with 7 to 52% reduction in birth weight 161 in progeny [91,92,[97][98][99][100][101]. The reported decrease in birth weight following the levels of maternal 162 nutrient restriction used in neurodevelopmental studies in sheep and rabbits is milder ranging from 163 9.5% to 17.5% [83,89,102,103].…”

Effects of tactile stimulation and underwater trauma on the behavior of protein-malnourished rats in the elevated plus-maze test

“…Furthermore, it is also well known that protein malnutrition during gestation and/or lactation can change the behavior of rats in some animal models of anxiety. Malnourished animals submitted to experimental models of anxiety such as light-dark transition (Brioni & Orsingher, 1988;Santucci, Daud, Almeida, & De Oliveira, 1994), elevated plus-maze (EPM) (Almeida, De Oliveira, & Graeff, 1991;Almeida et al, 1994;Almeira, Tonkiss, & Galler, 1996b;Moreira, De Araújo, De Oliveira, & Almeida, 1997;Riul, Carvalho, Almeida, & De Oliveira, 1998) and elevated T-maze (Almeida, Tonkiss, & Galler, 1996a) presented behavioral changes suggestive of lower anxiety and/or higher impulsiveness.…”

Prenatal malnutrition alters diazepam-mediated suppression of ultrasonic vocalizations in an age dependent manner

“…Experience of high levels of maternal licking and grooming over the first 8-10 days of life has been associated with changes in central BZ receptors [11] and a life-long reduction in stress response and anxiety-related behaviors in normal rat populations [14]. Thus, it is possible that the greater levels of licking and grooming experienced by the prenatally malnourished pups (whether it is due to their USV characteristics or some other feature) may exert an epigenetic influence on the development of the GABAergic system (e.g., subunit expression) leading to reduced anxiety in classic anxiety tests such as the elevated plus maze [1] and the elevated T-maze, later in life [2]. It should be noted, however, that prenatally malnourished rats do not always exhibit evidence of low anxiety and indeed demonstrate heightened physiological responsiveness in some stressful test situations (e.g., [19,35]).…”