Elsevier

Developmental Brain Research

Volume 50, Issue 2, 1 December 1989, Pages 225-231
Developmental Brain Research

Research report
Effects of undernutrition on the serotonin neuron system in the developing brain: an immunohistochemical study

https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-3806(89)90198-3Get rights and content

Abstract

The effects of undernutrition during the first 3 weeks of postnatal life on the serotonin neuron system were investigated using a peroxidase-antiperoxidase immunohistochemical method. Undernourishment was induced by increasing the litter size from 6 to 18 mice during the first 3 weeks of postnatal life. At 15 days of age a morphological change (large swelling of serotoninimmunoreactive axons) was noted in various parts of the brain of the undernourished mice with no remarkable changes in dendrites and cell bodies. Quantitative immunohistochemical analysis at 60 days of age showed a significant decrease in serotoninimmunoreactive cell bodies in the nucleus linearis intermedius, the nucleus raphe obscurus, the total raphe system and the subpyramidal region. These results suggest that undernutrition during early postnatal life affected the serotonin neuron system with regional differences.

References (23)

Cited by (6)

  • Corn feeding during development induces changes in the number of serotonergic neurons in the raphe nuclei

    2003, International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience
    Citation Excerpt :

    Although some authors producing prenatal protein deprivation found no effect of the diet on the timing of hippocampal pyramidal cell generation (DeBassio et al., 1994) or on the number of cells generated in the locus cœrulius (King et al., 1999; Chen et al. (1992)) also using prenatally protein malnourished rats found a significant increase of 5-HT release and 5-HIAA concentration in hippocampal slice preparations when compared to controls with no significant differences in other neurotransmitter concentrations. Blatt et al. (1994) in a neuroanatomical study in protein deprived adult rats found a decrease in the density of 5-HT afferent fibers in the hippocampal formation; and Ishimura et al. (1989) increasing the litter size of mice during the first 3 weeks postnatally with quantitative analysis at 60 postnatal days of age (PND) found a significant decrease in serotonin immunoreactive 5-HT immunoreactive (5-HTir) cell bodies in the total raphe system and the subpyramidal region. Although numerous neurochemical studies have been made in malnourished rats including those employing TRY-restricted diets, there are few studies dealing with changes in the serotonergic system of specific brain regions of nutrient restricted rodents.

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