A regional model (Northeastern Brazil) of induced mal-nutrition delays ontogeny of reflexes and locomotor activity in rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of malnutrition, induced by a regional basic diet (RBD), on motor development. RBD is a 7.87%-protein diet based on aliments typical of Northeastern Brazil, elaborated after nutritional investigation by Teodosio et al. (1979). Female rats were treated with RBD during lactation. The reflex ontogenesis and the development of locomotor activity in their offspring were assessed. Malnourished (MN) rats showed a delay in reflex maturation and in locomotor activity evolution. The decreased locomotor activity may be related to the reduced movement experiences induced by the delay in the reflex maturation. Occurring during the critical period of brain development, this fact could jeopardize all the steps in future locomotion evolution. The present results confirm deleterious effects of RDB-induced malnutrition on the somatic development and maturation of the nervous system (NS).