Effects of environmental enrichment on blood vessels in the optic tract of malnourished rats: A morphological and morphometric analysis

Nutritional Neuroscience
Everton Horiquini BarbosaJoão-José Lachat

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the effects of environmental enrichment in nourished (on a diet containing 16% protein) and malnourished (on a diet containing 6% protein) rats during the critical period of brain development, specifically focusing on the optic nerve. By means of morphologic and morphometric assessment of the optic nerve, we analyzed the changes caused by diet and stimulation (environmental enrichment) on postnatal day 35, a time point ideal for such morphological analysis since developmental processes are considered complete at this age. Malnourished animals presented low body and brain weights and high body-to-brain weight ratio compared to well-nourished rats. Furthermore, malnourished animals showed morphological changes in the optic nerve such as edema and vacuolization characterized by increased interstitial space. The malnourished-stimulated group presented lesions characteristic of early protein malnutrition but were milder than lesions exhibited by malnourished-non-stimulated group. The morphometric analysis revealed no difference in glial cell density between groups, but there was significantly higher blood vessel density in the stimulated rats, independent of their nutritional condition. Our data indicate ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Apr 30, 2015·Journal of Motor Behavior·Everton Horiquini BarbosaVera Lucia S S de Castro
Feb 18, 2016·Experimental Brain Research·Everton Horiquini-Barbosa, João-José Lachat
Sep 3, 2021·Physiology & Behavior·C Javik Dorantes-BarriosGabriela Hurtado-Alvarado

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