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EFFECTS OF PERINATAL MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE ADMINISTRATIONON VISUAL EVOKED POTENTIALS OF JUVENILE AND ADULT RATS
Citation:
Rigdon, G., W. Boyes, AND R. Dyer. EFFECTS OF PERINATAL MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE ADMINISTRATIONON VISUAL EVOKED POTENTIALS OF JUVENILE AND ADULT RATS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-89/229 (NTIS PB90146010).
Description:
Administration of high doses of monosodium glutamate (MSG) to rats during the first postnatal week results in severe losses of retinal ganglion cells and interneurons in the retina. his study was conducted to determine what effect this severe retinal damage would have upon the ontogeny of rat flash evoked potentials (FEPs) and the adult pattern reversal evoked potential (PREP). SG (4 mg/g) or isotonic saline was administered to rat pups daily from postnatal day (PND) 2 until PND 9. EPs were recorded following 2 stimulation frequencies from unanesthetized, unrestrained MSG treated and control rats on PND 15, PND 22, and PND 60 or older. REPs were recorded from unanesthetized, restrained rats older than PND 60 from each treatment group. On PND 15, 9 of 12 control animals exhibited responses to light flashes, while only 4 of l2 MSG treated animals did so. ll animals from both treatment groups exhibited FEPs on PND 22. ll FEP peak latencies were significantly increased in MSG treated animals with the magnitude of the effect being greater during development. eak N1 amplitude was reduced in MSG treated animals by 50% or more at each age. requency x treatment interactions were observed on peak P2 and peak N3 amplitude. SG treatment severely impaired the ability to generate PREPS. nly small responses to the pattern reversal stimulus could be detected and the normal PREP peaks could not be picked with confidence. erinatal MSG treatment results in profound alterations in FEP ontogeny and the generation of PREPs.