Effects of prenatal and neonatal nutritional deficiencies on the 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide-3′-phosphohydrolase activity in the brain and spinal cord of rats

Studies were made of the effects of deficiencies of protein, vitamin A, and pantothenic acid in the maternal diet during gestation and lactation on the activity of 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide-3′-phosphohydrolase, a myelin marker, in the brain and spinal cord of the progeny. Neonatal and combined prenatal and neonatal protein deficiencies were continued to 14 days of age. At 14 and 21 days of age there was a significant decrease in body, brain, and spinal cord weights. Brain phosphohydrolase activity was significantly decreased in protein- and vitamin A-deficient rats at 21 days of age. However, there was no change in spinal cord activity in any of the experimental manipulations at this age. Protein deficiency at 14 days resulted in a significant decrease in spinal cord and a slight decrease in brain phosphohydrolase activity. Comparison of the control values of phosphohydrolase activity in brain and spinal cord at these ages showed that the spinal cord has a higher activity than the brain.