Changes in brain ultrastructure of fetal rats with
intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) were explored and the effects of antenatal
taurine supplementation on their brain ultrastructure were determined. Fifteen pregnant rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group, IUGR model group and IUGR group given antenatal
taurine supplements.
Taurine was added to the diet of the
taurine group at a dose of 300 mg/kg/d from 12 days after conception until natural delivery. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe ultrastructural changes in the brains of the newborn rats. At the same time, brain cellular apoptosis was detected using TUNEL, and the changes in
protein expression of
neuron specific enolase and
glial fibrillary acidic protein were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. The results showed that: 1) The average
body weight and cerebral weight were significantly lower in the IUGR group than in the control group (p<0.01) and both of them were less so after
taurine was supplemented (p<0.01). 2) Transmission electron microscopy revealed that brain cortex structures were sparse IUGR rats, showing many scattered apoptotic cells, decreased numbers of synapses, lower glial cell proliferation, and fewer neurons, more sparsely arranged, while these factors were significantly improved with
taurine supplementation. 3) The results of TUNEL showed that the counts of apoptotic brain cells in IUGR groups were significantly increased from those in control groups and that
taurine could significantly decrease brain cell apoptosis (p<0.001). 4) The results of immunohistochemistry showed that antenatal
taurine-supplementation could significantly increase the counts of
neuron specific enolase and
glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactive cells in fetal rats with IUGR (p<0.001). It can be concluded that it IUGR has a significant detrimental influence on the development of fetal rat brains, and antenatal supplement of
taurine can significantly improve the IUGR fetal brain development.