Neonatal tactile stimulation reverses alterations in fine structure of small, but not large myelinated fibers, from the optic nerve of iron-deficient rats: A size-based selectivity.

Iron is the most common micronutrient deficiency in the world and it is most prevalent in young children, exposing their developing brain to inadequate iron levels. The damage related to neuroanatomical parameters is not reversed after iron treatment. However, evidence suggest that tactile stimulation (TS) may offer great therapeutic efficacy in cases of nutritional disorders postnatally, since the brain is remarkably responsive to its interaction with the environment.

Environmental enrichment protects spatial learning and hippocampal neurons from the long-lasting effects of protein malnutrition early in life.

As early protein malnutrition has a critically long-lasting impact on the hippocampal formation and its role in learning and memory, and environmental enrichment has demonstrated great success in ameliorating functional deficits, here we ask whether exposure to an enriched environment could be employed to prevent spatial memory impairment and neuroanatomical changes in the hippocampus of adult rats maintained on a protein deficient diet during brain development (P0-P35). To elucidate the protective effects of environmental enrichment, we used the Morris water task and neuroanatomical analysis to determine whether changes in spatial memory and number and size of CA1 neurons differed significantly among groups. Protein malnutrition and environmental enrichment during brain development had significant effects on the spatial memory and hippocampal anatomy of adult rats.

Tactile stimulation partially prevents neurodevelopmental changes in visual tract caused by early iron deficiency.

Iron deficiency has a critical impact on maturational mechanisms of the brain and the damage related to neuroanatomical parameters is not satisfactorily reversed after iron replacement. However, emerging evidence suggest that enriched early experience may offer great therapeutic efficacy in cases of nutritional disorders postnatally, since the brain is remarkably responsive to its interaction with the environment. Given the fact that tactile stimulation (TS) treatment has been previously shown to be an effective therapeutic approach and with potential application to humans, here we ask whether exposure to TS treatment, from postnatal day (P) 1 to P32 for 3min/day, could also be employed to prevent neuroanatomical changes in the optic nerve of rats maintained on an iron-deficient diet during brain development.

Tactile stimulation during development alters the neuroanatomical organization of the optic nerve in normal rats.

This study was designed to investigate the progressive effect of tactile stimulation in the cytoarchitecture of the optic nerve of normal rats during early postnatal development. We used 36 male pups which were randomly assigned to either the tactile-stimulated group (TS-stimulation for 3 min, once a day, from postnatal day (P) 1 to 32) or the non-tactile-stimulated (NTS) group. Morphological analysis were performed to evaluate the alterations caused by tactile stimulation, and morphometric analysis were carried out to determine whether the observed changes in optic nerve cytoarchitecture were significantly different between groups and at three different ages (P18, P22, and P32), thereby covering the entire progression of development of the optic nerve from its start to its completion.

Assessments of Motor Abnormalities on the Grid-Walking and Foot-Fault Tests From Undernutrition in Wistar Rats.

This study was designed to verify whether different lactation conditions influenced nervous system development. The authors used motor tasks to verify changes in exploratory activity and muscle strength of weaned rats from different litter sizes and evaluated the applicability of the grid-walking test for assessing motor abnormalities caused by undernutrition. Alterations in litter size during the suckling period perturbed the nutritional status of pups, which exhibited body weight differences between the groups.

Effects of environmental enrichment on blood vessels in the optic tract of malnourished rats: A morphological and morphometric analysis.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effects of environmental enrichment in nourished (on a diet containing 16% protein) and malnourished (on a diet containing 6% protein) rats during the critical period of brain development, specifically focusing on the optic nerve.

Methods: By means of morphologic and morphometric assessment of the optic nerve, we analyzed the changes caused by diet and stimulation (environmental enrichment) on postnatal day 35, a time point ideal for such morphological analysis since developmental processes are considered complete at this age.

Results: Malnourished animals presented low body and brain weights and high body-to-brain weight ratio compared to well-nourished rats.

Effects of kinesiotherapy in ischemic lesion and reperfusion in rats.

Objective: To investigate the effect of kinesiotherapy on the functionality of the pelvic limb of rats after ischemic and reperfusion injury.

Methods: 10 rats were divided into two groups, GI (control) and GII (kinesiotherapy). All the animals underwent ischemia for a period of three hours, followed by tissue reperfusion.