The influence of atherogenic diet and "essential" phospholipids upon the contents of noradrenaline and dopamine in the brain of rats and their exploratory activity.

The influence of atherogenic diet and "essential" phospholipids (EPL) both on exploratory activity and catecholamine content in the brain of rats has been examined. The atherogenic diet caused a decrease of the animals' exploratory activity as well as a diminution of catecholamines. It was observed that these changes correlated. Prophylactic administration of EPL is capable of preventing such changes. Therapeutic administration of EPL increased exploratory activity and catecholamines in the atherogenic group which subsequently received the basic laboratory diet.