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Behavioral deficit in phenylketonuric rats: Role of aromatic acid metabolites of phenylalanine
Author(s) -
Kaplan Harriett,
Triano Teresa,
Donadio Michael
Publication year - 1981
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.420140308
Subject(s) - phenylalanine , metabolite , phenylacetate , open field , endocrinology , medicine , phenylalanine hydroxylase , psychology , chemistry , amino acid , biochemistry
To investigate the relationship between the biochemical and behavioral deficits in phenylketonuria (PKU), we treated rats from Postnatal Days 2 through 21 with p ‐chlorophenylalanine plus L‐phenylalanine to simulate PKU or with one of the following aromatic acid metabolites of phenylalanine: phenylacetate, phenylpyruvate, phenyllactate, and mandelate. Behavioral tests were begun at about 9 weeks of age. Differences between experimental and control animals were found only in the water maze and in the open field. In the former, PKU rats required significantly more trials to reach criterion than controls. None of the single metabolite‐treated groups exhibited a similar learning deficit. In the open field, PKU and mandelatetreated rats were hypoactive compared with controls, whereas phenylacetate‐ and phenylpyruvate‐treated rats were hyperactive. These results demonstrate a lack of congruence between morphological and behavioral effects of treatment, suggesting that performance deficits in PKU rats may be due to interactive effects of 2 or more metabolites.