The effect of corticosteroids on dendritic development in the rat brain.

Sprague-Dawley rats were given 0.02 ml of methylprednisolone (0.06 g/g body wt) 6, 9, or 12 days postnatally. When compared with saline-treated controls, the following effects on dendritic development in layers 3 and 5 of the parietal cortex were observed: (1) no significant alteration in number of basal dendrites; (2) initial increase (at 3 wk of age) in branchings near the perikaryon in the group treated at 12 days; (3) decrease in number of branches at distances ≥270 μm from the perikaryon in layers 3 and 5 in all steroid-treated groups when sacrificed at 6 wk; (4) decrease in number of intersections in layer 5 in all steroid-treated groups when sacrificed at 6 wk; and (5) decrease in number of terminations in layers 3 and 5 in all steroid-treated groups when sacrificed at 6 wk.