Seizure susceptibility and brain amine levels following protein malnutrition during development in the rat

Protein malnutrition during development led to enhanced seizure susceptibility in adulthood, an effect which was only partially ameliorated by restoration of adequate dietary protein levels in adulthood.

Abstract

This report examines the change in seizure susceptibility in adult rats which were reared on a diet containing either normal or inadequate levels of protein. A significantly greater percentage of the protein malnourished rats convulsed at low to moderate intensities of electroconvulsive shock (ECS) than normals. Also, seizure duration in the malnourished subjects teneed to be longer than in the normals. Switching adult rats to the opposite diet, i.e. rats reared on normal diets now receive low protein diet and vice versa, had a moderating effect on seizure susceptibility, but full reversal of the effects of protein malnutrition was not achieved. In sum, protein malnutrition during development led to enhanced seizure susceptibility in adulthood, an effect which was only partially ameliorated by restoration of adequate dietary protein levels in adulthood. Prior studies have shown a strong inverse relationship between brain biogenic amine levels and seizure activity. In a second study we therefore investigated whether decreased regional brain levels of norepinephrine and serotonin were produced by chronic protein malnutrition. Suprrisingly, levels of these two amines were elevated in the brains of the protein malnourished rats and, therefore, changes in the levels of these neurochemicals cannot simply account for the increased seizure activity seen in rats reared on inadequate amounts of protein.