简介：EffectsofmaternaldietaryzincdeficiencyonprenatalandpostnatalbraindevelopmentwereinvestigatedinICRstrainmice.Fromd1ofpregnancy(E0)untilpostnatald20(P20),maternalmicewerefedexperimentaldietsthatcontained1mgZn/kg/day(severezincdeficient,SZD),5mgZn/kg/day(marginalzincdeficient,MZD),30mgZn/kg/day(zincadequatelysupplied,ZA)or100mgZn/kg/day(zincsupplemented,ZSandpair-fed,PF).Brainsofoffspringfromthesedietarygroupswereexaminedatvariousdevelopmentalstagesforexpressionofnestin,anintermediatefilamentproteinfoundinneuralstemcellsandyoungneurons,Immunocytochemistryshowednestinexpressioninneuraltube10.5dpostcitrus(dpc)aswellasinthecerebralcortexandneuraltubefrom10.5dpctopostnatald10(P10).Nestinimmunoreactivitiesinbothbrainandneuraltubeofthosezinc-supplementedcontrolgroups(ZA,ZS,PF)werestrongerthanthoseinzinc-deficientgroups(SZDandMZD).Westernblotanalysisconfirmedthatnestinlevelsinpooledbrainextractsfromeachofthezinc-supplementedgroups(ZA,ZS,PF)weremuchhigherthanthosefromthezinc-deficientgroups(SZDandMZD)from10.5dpctoP10.ImmunostainingandWesternblotsshowednodetectablenestininanyoftheexperimentalandcontrolgroupbrainsafterP20.Theseobservationsofanassociationbetweenmaternalzincdeficiencyanddecreasednestinproteinlevelsinbrainsofoffspringsuggestthatzincdeficiencysuppressesdevelopmentofneuralstemcells,aneffectwhichmayleadtoneuroanatomicalandbehavioralabnormalitiesinadults.