Immunoreactive vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and vasopressin cells after a protein malnutrition diet in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the rat.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of prenatal and postnatal protein deprivation on the morphology and density of vasopressin (VP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) immunoreactive neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of young rats. Female Wistar rats were fed either 6% (malnourished group) or 25% (control group) casein diet five weeks before conception, during gestation and lactation. After weaning, the pups were maintained on the same diet until sacrificed at 30 days of age. The major and minor axes, somatic area and the density of VP- and VIP-immunoreactive neurons were evaluated in the middle sections of the SCN. The present study shows that chronic protein malnutrition (ChPM) in VP neurons induces a significant decrease in number of cells (-31%,) and a significant increase in major and minor axes and somatic area (+12.2%, +21.1% and +15.0%, respectively). The VIP cells showed a significant decrease in cellular density (-41.5%) and a significant increase in minor axis (+13.5%) and somatic area (+10.1%). Our findings suggest that ChPM induces abnormalities in the density and morphology of the soma of VP and VIP neurons. These alterations may be a morphological substrate underlying circadian alterations previously observed in malnourished rats.