The effect of pre- and postnatal undernutrition on the development of the cerebellar cortex in the rat. II. Histochemical observations.

The effect of pre- and postnatal undernutrition on the neuronal enzymatic maturation of the neocerebellar hemispheral lobules VI b, VI c and VII (according to Larsell 1952) was studied. Postnatally oxidative enzyme histochemistry (LDH, SDH, NADH, NADPH, G6PDH) revealed a delayed enzymatic development in the cerebellum between days 8 and 22, as an effect of pre- and postnatal undernutrition. In the Purkinje cell apical cone a delayed increase in enzyme activities could be seen at days 8 to 11 as well as a delayed decrease in Purkinje cell perikaryal enzyme activities at days 11 to 14 post-partum. The retarded enzymatic development seemed to parallel the retarded morphological development (cf. Sima & Persson 1975).