Papers by Esther Perez-Torrero
Nutritional Neuroscience, 2002
NANOTECNOLOGIA La nanotecnología es la ciencia que controla y manipula la materia a una escala me... more NANOTECNOLOGIA La nanotecnología es la ciencia que controla y manipula la materia a una escala menor que un micrómetro, es decir, a nivel de átomos y moléculas.
Nutritional Neuroscience, 2005
Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 2011
Brain Research, 1997
The effects of acute ethanol exposure during the prenatal phase of Bergmann glia cell (Bgc) gener... more The effects of acute ethanol exposure during the prenatal phase of Bergmann glia cell (Bgc) generation were evaluated in three postnatal days. Ethanol exposed rats showed Bgc with reduced soma size, decreased number and width of their fibers, and increased fiber length, when compared with control animals. These differences, however, were significant at postnatal day 12. Our results demonstrate that acute, prenatal exposure to ethanol during critical stages of brain development disrupts Bgc early postnatal development.
Nutritional Neuroscience, 2002
Undernutrition alters facial motoneurons development. Here, we evaluated the plastic characterist... more Undernutrition alters facial motoneurons development. Here, we evaluated the plastic characteristics of facial motoneurons in response to neonatal rehabilitation. Prenatally undernourished rat pups derived from pregnant rats fed with 50% of the diet from gestational days G6 to G12, and with 60% of food from G13 to G21 and rehabilitated after birth by a pair of control lactating foster dams. Morphological features of 640 Golgi-Cox impregnated motoneurons from 12, 20 and 30 days old pups were analyzed. Neonatal food rehabilitation increased the number and extension of the dendritic branches (main neuronal reception area) without altering significantly soma measurements (main neuronal firing area), suggesting that food and sensory maternal disponibility after birth ameliorates the damage due to prenatal deprivation. Findings showed that neonatal rehabilitation in addition to intense maternal polysensorial stimuli from the foster mothers partially diminished the morphological alterations associated to prenatal undernutrition, and provide evidence of plastic properties of facial motoneurons to the influence of environmental cues.
Nutritional Neuroscience, 2006
The effects of perinatal undernutrition on the number of neurons and apoptotic cells of the locus... more The effects of perinatal undernutrition on the number of neurons and apoptotic cells of the locus coeruleus (LC) of female and male rats at postpartum days 7, 12, 20, 30 and 60 were studied. Undernutrition reduces the number of neurons in both sexes without affecting cell death, as indicated by the ratio of apoptotic cells to neurons. The data suggest that in the undernourished groups lower rates of neurogenesis and proliferation (neurogenetic/proliferation rates) might avoid these animals achieving the number of LC neurons as in the control subjects. Although food restriction in both sexes apparently provokes the loss of cells, the effect does not appear to be equal in females and males, as shown by post weaning food rehabilitation. The results suggest that severe food deprivation may interfere with the ontogenetic processes underlying neuronal differentiation of the LC. Morphological damage in the LC due to undernutrition might alter the physiology of sexual and/or feeding behaviours in which this structure is implicated.
Biology of The Neonate, 1999
Golgi-Cox-impregnated neurons of the superior olivary complex were investigated in control, binau... more Golgi-Cox-impregnated neurons of the superior olivary complex were investigated in control, binaural ear-occluded control, undernourished, and binaural ear-occluded undernourished Wistar rats of 12, 20, and 30 days of age. In neonatally undernourished and binaural ear-occluded animals, a significant reduction in the number of dendrites and dendritic intersections in the medial trapezoid body neurons was observed. Inconsistent effects upon the dendritic arbor lateral superior olivary cells were also detected. Control and undernourished rats with binaural ear occlusion exhibited a significant increase in the dendritic arbor measurements of lateral superior olivary neurons as compared with the cells of the medial trapezoid body. The cytoarchitectonic imbalance between the modulatory efferent control of these systems and the sensory auditory input to the cochlea may be important for the integration of complex auditory physiological phenomena.
Nutritional Neuroscience, 2007
The maternal aggressive response (MAR) against intruders is temporarily expressed during lactatio... more The maternal aggressive response (MAR) against intruders is temporarily expressed during lactation in association with the rearing and protection of offspring to promote their survival and growth in the nest. This normal component of maternal behaviour requires both the hormonal changes occurring at the end of pregnancy and the presence of pups for its establishment. Because early food restriction in the rat results in long-term maternal deficiencies, we analysed in Wistar rats the effects of perinatal undernutrition on the MAR to an intruder at days 1, 4, and 8 postpartum. The data showed that undernourished dams exhibited significant reductions of sniffing frequency on days 4 and 8 and significant increases of biting on day 4 and of lateral attacks on postpartum days 4 and 8. The finding of an altered MAR during the lactating period may be relevant for the survival and long-term behavioural development of the progeny.
Nutritional Neuroscience, 2003
Perinatal undernutrition as a deficiency of nutrient availability, affects body and brain develop... more Perinatal undernutrition as a deficiency of nutrient availability, affects body and brain developmental processes and promotes recurrent health problems. Thus, altered mother-litter bonds and deficient environmental interactions may interfere with the brain pluripotential capabilities of the newborn. To gather information concerning the mechanisms underlying perinatal undernutrition we designed a paradigm of undernutrition and neonatal rehabilitation in the rat. An underfed group came from pregnant Wistar rats fed with 50% of the diet from G6 to G12 and with 60% from G13 until G21. After birth, pups were daily undernourished during 12 h daily by rotating a pair of lactating well-nourished dams which had one of their nipples subcutaneously ligated. The rehabilitated animals were undernourished pups neonatally fed by a pair of normally lactating dams. Controls received plenty of food during the pre- and neonatal periods. Pups were sacrificed at 12, 20 and 30 days of age. Perinatal underfeeding significantly reduced body and brain weights and neuronal morphometric parameters. Normal neonatal feeding in the newborn ameliorated the damages associated to food deprivation. The current undernourishing paradigm may be helpful to assess brain development alterations, as well as to study the compensatory mechanisms associated to salutary epigenetic influences.
Brain Research, 2001
The facial nucleus (FN) of the rat is composed of multipolar neurons generated between gestationa... more The facial nucleus (FN) of the rat is composed of multipolar neurons generated between gestational days G12 and G15. This nucleus is involved in the mechanisms underlying muscle contraction during the sucking reflex. After birth, the neuronal substrate of this reflex is gradually organized to allow the performance of other functions such as gnawing, chewing, swallowing and drinking. Undernourishment is known to produce different degrees of delayed brain development, the greatest of which are similar to the characteristics of the premature syndrome. Neuronal morphological alterations are associated with sucking-reflex deficiencies, which interfere with feeding by the newborn. The current study shows that perinatal undernourishment leads to dendritic arbor hypoplasia and small alterations of soma size in Golgi-Cox impregnated FN neurons of rats. The data suggest that these morphological alterations of FN neurons, may be associated with shifts in the input and integration of signals, and may finally modify the elaboration of motoneuron discharges partly modulating bucolabial muscle contraction during sucking movements and facial expression. Additionally, neonatal nutritional rehabilitation modifies the effects on FN neuronal development, ameliorating the influence of early adverse nutritional conditions.
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Papers by Esther Perez-Torrero