Protein expression in the nucleus accumbens of rats exposed to developmental vitamin D deficiency

Abstract

Introduction: Developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency is a candidate risk factor for schizophrenia. Animal models have confirmed that DVD deficiency is associated with a range of altered genomic, proteomic, structural and behavioural outcomes in the rat. Because the nucleus accumbens has been implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders , in the current study we examined protein expression in this region in adult rats exposed to DVD defeciency. Methods: Female Sprague Dawley rats were maintained on a vitamin D defecient diet for 6 weeks, mated and allowed to guve birth, after which a diet containing vitamin D was reintroduced. Male adult offspring (n=8) were compared to control male (n=8). 2-D gel electrophoresis-based proteomics and mass spectroscopy were used to investigate differential protein expression. Results: There were 35 spots, mapped to 33 unique proteins, which were sugnificantly different between the two groups. Of these, 22 were down-regulated and 13 up-regulated. The fold changes were uniformly snall, with the largest FC being -1.67. Within the sugnificantly different spots, three calcium binding proteins (calbindin1, calbindin2 and hippocalcin) were altered. Other proteins associated with DVD deficiency related to mitochondrial function, and dynamin-like proteins. Conclusions: Developmental vitamin D deficiency was associated with subtle changes in protein expression in the nucleus accumbens. Disruptions in pathways related to calciun-binding proteins and mitochondrial function may underlie some of the behavioural features associated with animal models of developmental vitamin D deficiency. © 2008 Mc Grath et al.