The porphyrin content of the rat Harderian gland remains low until 12 days of age at which time both porphyrin content and concentration rapidly increase. Intraperitoneal administration of tetraiodothyronine (thyroxine) into newborn animals advances the appearance of porphyrin in the gland. Conversely, a single injection of cortisol acetate into newborns retards the appearance of porphyrin. The time of porphyrin appearance in the gland parallels the time for maturation of the evoked cortical response to visual stimulation in normal and hormone-treated animals.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1970

Hormonal effects on ontogeny of swimming ability in the rat: assessment of central nervous system development.

The maturation of swimming behavior and the evoked cortical response to sciatic stimulation were studied in newborn rats receiving thyroxine or cortisol. Compared to that of controls the maturation of swimming is accelerated or delayed 2 to 3 days by thyroxine or cortisol treatment, respectively, and this corresponds to ontogenetic shifts in the characteristics of the evoked potential. Front leg movement during swimming normally diminishes at about 16 days of age and is inhibited by day 22. Thyroxine also advances and cortisol delays the age at which this inhibitory mechanism becomes evident, and compresses (thyroxine) or expands (cortisol) the time interval over which it becomes functional. During early postnatal life certain circuilating hormones can affect the rate and chronology of central nervous system maturation. Swimming behavior may be a simple model to use in studies concerned with factors affecting the functional and behavioral development of the central nervouts system.

Aging↗

PubMed1970

Early experience effects upon cortical dendrites: a proposed model for development.

We studied the effects of environmental stimulation on the development of rat cortical pyramidal cell synaptic loci (dendritic spines) and the number of such cells staining by the rapid Golgi technique. Stimulation three to five times a day from the day of birth increased the number of spines per micrometer in 8-day-old animals and increased the number of neurons stanining at 8 to 16 days of age. This effect of afferent input upon development of the dendritic spine may represent the neuroanatomical basis for the influence of early experience on subsequent behavior. The number of neurons staining by the rapid Golgi technique appears to be related to those that are functionally involved at the time of tissue preparation.

Animals↗

PubMed1970