Effects of different malnutrition techniques on the behavior of rats tested in the elevated T-maze

The influence of different malnutrition techniques on the behavior of adult animals was investigated in the elevated T-maze (ETM). Control litters (C) were composed by eight pups constantly kept with their mother and fed by a 16%-protein diet ad libitum; protein malnutrition litters (PM) were fed by a 6%-protein diet; protein-calorie malnutrition litters (PCM) were fed with 50% of the 16%-protein diet ingested by C litters; malnutrition by increase in the size of the litter (LLM-number of pups was twice the number of pups in C litters), and malnutrition by separation (SM-litters spent half of the day with non-lactating females). After weaning, all groups received lab chow diet until the test day (70th day). During the test were recorded the basal, avoidance 1, avoidance 2 and escape latencies. The data showed that PM, PCM, LLM and SM animals showed lower increases in avoidance latencies, when compared to their control groups. However, malnutrition did not affect escape latencies. The nature of these alterations seems to be nutritional, as the extra-nutritional factors (i.e. maternal care) differ a lot among the malnutrition techniques. These results suggest that malnutrition, irrespective of the technique, altered the neural mechanisms believed to control defensive behaviors in the ETM.