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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Quantitative Autoradiographic Method for Determination of Regional Rates of Cerebral Protein Synthesis In Vivo
Published on: June 28, 2019
Cerebral cholinergic neurotransmission in protein and tryptophan-restricted adult rats
Alma Rosa Del Angel Meza1, Irma Griselda Adame González, José Segura Torres
1Div. De Neurociencias, CIBO-IMSS, CUCBA, U. de G. Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico.
Abstract:
To evaluate the effects of protein and tryptophan restriction on cholinergic neurotransmission in terms of choline acetyltransferase (CAT) activity and its expression as well as muscarinic receptors number at cerebral cortex and hippocampus, Wistar rats were raised on a chronically protein and tryptophan restricted diets with 8% protein based on either Purina chow or corn. There was a significant decrease in both body and cerebral weight in the restricted animals compared with the control group fed with 23% protein diet. In cerebral cortex CAT activity and its expression were significantly increased in corn fed (C) versus protein restricted (HP) and control (T) animals, without no significant changes in muscarinic receptors number. On the other hand, hippocampus CAT activity and its expression were significantly lesser and muscarinic receptors significantly increased in C group and CAT activity in HP group was significantly increased without significant changes in muscarinic receptors related to T group. These results indicate that a reduction in 5-HT disponibility on brain induced by tryptophan restricted diet during development affects clearly the cholinergic system modifying probably the short term memory and learning.
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