NADPH-d positive neurons in the developing somatosensory cortex of the rat: effects of early and late environmental enrichment.

Fernández V1, Bravo H, Sanhueza M, Inzunza O.

Keywords: cortex, rat, development

Abstract

The effects of environmental enrichment upon the topographic arrangement of NADPH diaphorase-positive neurons (NADPH-d+ neurons) was studied in the somatosensory cortex of 56 Sprague-Dawley albino rats during early stages of development (18th, 24th, 30th and 60th postnatal days). This diaphorase is easily demonstrable, providing a convenient marker for quantitative studies. Environmental enrichment diminished the number of NADPH-d+ neurons and exerted its maximal influence during lactation, a time of exceptional cortical susceptibility. This implies that the magnitude of such effects on the density of NADPH-d+ neurons is age-dependent. Furthermore, it was found that the experience-dependent cortical changes persisted after a subsequent period without environmental stimulation. The effects of early environmental enrichment did not occur uniformly throughout the cerebral hemispheres but, instead, such effects were maximal in the latero-ventral sector of the cerebral cortex where a dramatic reduction in the number of NADPH-d+ neurons was observed. Particularly striking was the existence of a latero-medial sequence of NADPH-d+ neurons in the infragranular layer and a reversed distribution of labeled cells, in the supragranular layer. Both ontogenetic sequences of NADPH-d+ neurons remained unchanged during postnatal development in controls and enriched subjects (18th-60th postnatal days).

Más información

Título de la Revista: Brain Res Dev Brain Res. 1998 May 15;107(2):299-307.
Volumen: 107
Número: 2
Fecha de publicación: 1998
Página de inicio: 299
Página final: 307
Idioma: english