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Neurodevelopmental Reflex Testing in Neonatal Rat Pups
Published on: April 24, 2017
Developmental vitamin D deficiency alters multiple neurotransmitter systems in the neonatal rat brain
James P Kesby1, Karly M Turner1, Suzanne Alexander2
1Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia.
Insights
Developmental vitamin D deficiency alters neonatal rat brain neurochemistry, impacting neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. These changes may be linked to neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency is a risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia.
- DVD deficiency in rats shows altered brain structure and behaviors linked to dopamine and glutamate signaling.
- Previous studies noted dopamine alterations in DVD-deficient rats, but a comprehensive neurochemical assessment was lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine regional concentrations of key neurotransmitters and metabolites in neonates with DVD deficiency.
- To investigate the impact of DVD deficiency on dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin, glutamine, glutamate, and GABA in the developing rat brain.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Sprague-Dawley rats fed vitamin D deficient or control diets from pre-mating through birth.
- Assessed neurotransmitter concentrations via high-performance liquid chromatography on post-mortem neonatal brain tissue.
- Maintained rats under UVB-free lighting conditions to ensure dietary vitamin D was the primary variable.
Main Results:
- DVD-deficient neonates exhibited widespread reductions in glutamine (12-24%) and increases in noradrenaline and serine.
- Regionally selective changes included increased dopamine and decreased serotonin in striatal subregions of DVD-deficient neonates.
- These findings highlight both general and localized neurochemical alterations due to DVD deficiency.
Conclusions:
- DVD deficiency induces significant changes in multiple neurotransmitter systems within the neonate brain.
- The study identified both widespread (glutamine, noradrenaline) and region-specific (dopamine, serotonin) alterations.
- These neurochemical changes in the developing brain are relevant to schizophrenia and suggest varied actions of vitamin D.
Background:
Epidemiological evidence suggests that developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency is a risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. DVD deficiency in rats is associated with altered brain structure and adult behaviours indicating alterations in dopamine and glutamate signalling. Developmental alterations in dopamine neurotransmission have also been observed in DVD-deficient rats but a comprehensive assessment of brain neurochemistry has not been undertaken. Thus, the current study determined the regional concentrations of dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin, glutamine, glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and associated metabolites, in DVD-deficient neonates.
Methods:
Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a vitamin D deficient diet or control diet six weeks prior to mating until birth and housed under UVB-free lighting conditions. Neurotransmitter concentration was assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography on post-mortem neonatal brain tissue.
Results:
Ubiquitous reductions in the levels of glutamine (12-24%) were observed in DVD-deficient neonates compared with control neonates. Similarly, in multiple brain regions DVD-deficient neonates had increased levels of noradrenaline and serine compared with control neonates. In contrast, increased levels of dopamine and decreased levels of serotonin in DVD-deficient neonates were limited to striatal subregions compared with controls.
Conclusions:
Our results confirm that DVD deficiency leads to changes in multiple neurotransmitter systems in the neonate brain. Importantly, this regionally-based assessment in DVD-deficient neonates identified both widespread neurotransmitter changes (glutamine/noradrenaline) and regionally selective neurotransmitter changes (dopamine/serotonin). Thus, vitamin D may have both general and local actions depending on the neurotransmitter system being investigated. Taken together, these data suggest that DVD deficiency alters neurotransmitter systems relevant to schizophrenia in the developing rat brain.
