Theophylline effects on cellular response in protein-energy malnourished neonatal rat brain

The present study employed an animal model in an attempt to document effects on brain growth of long-term exposure to theophylline in the presence or absence of malnutrition. One group of dams was randomly divided into half. One-half was fed a 20% protein diet and the other half a 6% protein diet. Similarly, a second group of dams was also randomly divided into two groups. These were pair-fed with rats of the first group, receiving diets comparable to those in group one but to which theophylline was added in amounts calculated to provide daily doses of 2 mg/100 g of body weight. Theophylline supplementation in the dams' 6% protein diet decreased the body weight of the pups consistently from d 3 to the end of the study at d 15 in comparison to the non-theophylline group. In contrast, the presence of theophylline in the control diet increased the body weight of the pups at d 15 compared with that of the non-theophylline group. Brain weight was essentially identical in the normal controls and the normally nourished group given theophylline. No difference in brain weight was noted between the malnourished group and the malnourished group given theophylline. We found a significant reduction in DNA content per brain or per mg of brain weight in the normally nourished group given theophylline compared with non-theophylline group. DNA values per mg of brain weight from the controls that received theophylline were not different from either malnourished group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)