Effects of different schedules of early undernutrition on the preweaning growth of the rat cerebellum

The effects of combined gestational-lactational undernutrition were comparable to those produced by instant lactational restriction alone in both brain weight and cerebellar cell population.

Abstract

The ad lib. food intake of rats during gestation and lactation was determined and under different schedules experimental animals were fed 75 or 50% of that diet (mild and severe undernutrition). Mild or severe undernutrition during gestation alone had only transient effects on the preweaning weight of the brain or number of cells in the cerebellum. Mild or severe undernutrition during lactation, whether delayed (unfostered) or instant (fostered), had appreciable effects on body and brain growth. Severe lactational undernutrition resulted in a reduction in the number of cells in both the germinal external granular layer and the internal granular layer, the instant group being affected to a greater extent than the delayed group. The effects of combined gestational-lactational undernutrition were comparable to those produced by instant lactational restriction alone in both brain weight and cerebellar cell population.