Behavioral and neurochemical changes in folate-deficient mice.
Published
Journal Article
Weanling mice were fed an amino acid-based diet supplemented with 0 or 11.3 mumol folic acid/kg diet for approximately 38 days to study behavior and neurochemistry in folate deficiency. After approximately 5 wk, mice fed the unsupplemented diet weighted approximately 70% as much those fed the supplemented diet. After 2 wk, mice fed the unsupplemented diet consistently discarded (spilled) more food, and after approximately 5 wk, they had spilled 3 times more than mice fed the supplemented diet. Serum folate, brain folate and brain S-adenosylmethionine of mice fed the unsupplemented diet were 4, 53, and 60% as high, respectively, as those of mice fed the supplemented diet. Pathologic changes were not evident in brain, spinal cord, or skeletal muscle of folate-deficient mice. The hypothalamic 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid/serotonin ratio and caudate dopamine, homovanillic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid concentrations were lower in deficient than control mice. Folate-deficient mice develop a behavioral activity, food spilling, which may have a neurochemical basis in the serotonin and dopamine systems.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Gospe, SM; Gietzen, DW; Summers, PJ; Lunetta, JM; Miller, JW; Selhub, J; Ellis, WG; Clifford, AJ
Published Date
- November 1995
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 58 / 5
Start / End Page
- 935 - 941
PubMed ID
- 8577891
Pubmed Central ID
- 8577891
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 0031-9384
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1016/0031-9384(95)00156-d
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States