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Locomotor response to acute nicotine in adolescent mice is altered by maternal undernutrition during lactation
Author(s) -
DutraTavares Ana C.,
Manhães Alex C.,
Silva Juliana O.,
NunesFreitas André L.,
Conceição Ellen P.S.,
Moura Egberto G.,
Lisboa Patrícia C.,
Filgueiras Cláudio C.,
AbreuVillaça Yael,
RibeiroCarvalho Anderson
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2015.10.002
Subject(s) - offspring , endocrinology , medicine , nicotine , lactation , leptin , open field , weaning , endocrine system , corticosterone , cholinergic , ingestion , malnutrition , biology , hormone , pregnancy , obesity , genetics
Undernutrition during brain development causes long lasting alterations in different neurotransmitter systems that may alter responses to psychoactive drugs. Despite the recognized effects of early undernutrition on the cholinergic system, no evidence that demonstrates the influence of this insult on nicotine susceptibility has been reported. We investigated the effects of protein/calorie restriction during lactation on the susceptibility to nicotine in adolescent mice. Dams were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: Control (C, 20 litters)—free access to standard laboratory diet (23% protein); Protein Restricted (PR, 12 litters)—free access to a isoenergetic, 8% protein diet; Calorie Restricted (CR, 12 litters)—access to standard laboratory diet in restricted quantities (mean ingestion of PR: pair‐fed group). Undernutrition extended from postnatal day 2 (PN2) to weaning (PN21). At PN30, animals either received an i.p. injection of nicotine (0.5 mg/Kg) or saline and were immediately placed in open field (OF). After the OF, adrenal glands and serum were collected for the analyses of stress‐related endocrine parameters and leptin concentration. PR and CR offspring showed less body mass gain and visceral fat mass. PR offspring presented reduced serum leptin concentration. In the OF, nicotine increased locomotor activity of C and PR, but not of CR. CR and PR offspring showed decreased adrenal catecholamine content, which was not dependent on nicotine exposure. Our results indicate that early undernutrition interferes with nicotine‐elicited locomotor effects in adolescent mice and suggest that endocrine parameters alterations in malnourished animals do not influence the behavioral response to nicotine.