Retardation of brain myelination by malnourishment and feeding low protein irradiated diet in rats.

The effect of feeding low protein diet, and the low protein irradiated diet on the deposition of myelin in the brains of rats over two generations showed that malnourishment lowered the CNP enzyme activity when compared to the normal (high protein) diet fed control rats during early postnatal period. Irradiated low protein diet, when fed within 21 days of irradiaton (15 Krads Gamma radiation, 60Co rays), produced still lower CNP enzyme activity. This also enhanced other effects of retarding the brain development, by lowering the protein and lipid contents of the brain during a period from the 4th to 25th day of postnatal development. This suggests the possibility that feeding irradiated low protein food to malnourished developing mammals could cause serious problems like mental retardation.