Postnatal development of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) positive neurons in rat prefrontal cortex.

First nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d)-positive perikarya in rat prefrontal cortex (PFC) are present at birth. On postnatal day (P) 1, there is an increase of NADPH-d-positive neurons in all developing layers of PFC. From P1 to P7, a further increase in the overall number of positive neurons is observed. First laminar and area shifts are noted on P21, while morphological maturation of NADPH-d-positive neurons is finished around P30. In conclusion, the postnatal development of NADPH-d neurons in PFC is in concordance with other developmental events in rat cerebral cortex.