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The effect of monosodium glutamate on the early biochemical and behavioral development of the rat
Author(s) -
Berry H. K.,
Butcher R. E.,
Elliot L. A.,
Brunner R. L.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.420070210
Subject(s) - monosodium glutamate , taurine , medicine , endocrinology , tyrosine , glutamic acid , amino acid , histidine , glutamate receptor , glutathione , saline , metabolism , chemistry , biology , biochemistry , enzyme , receptor
Sprague Dawley rats were given monosodium glutamate (MSG) (4 mg/g) on each of the first 10 days of life and subsequently tested in a swimming maze at 50 days. They appeared less able to learn the maze than littermate controls that had received only saline. Amino acid analyses performed on animals prepared identically but sacrificed on Day 10 showed increased levels of aspartic and glutamic acids, taurine, urea, and glutathione in the brain, liver, and blood of the MSG animals as compared to their controls. Tyrosine and histidine levels were consistently lower. These abnormalities of amino acid metabolism appear to be of sufficient magnitude to alter the structural development of the CNS. The behavioral changes observed suggest an enduring impairment of function.