Flash Visual Evoked Potentials (FVEP) in Newborn Rats after Pre- and Postnatal Exposure to Zinc

The aim of this paper was to find any alterations in flash visual evoked potentials (FVeP) after preand postnatal exposure to zn in rats. 18 white adult Wistar rats drank tap water containing 50ppm of znSo4 x 7H2o and ate pelleted food during 21 days of pregnancy. 14 pregnant rats of the control group drank only tap water. 10 newborn rats from pure (without prenatal zn exposure) breeding had the oral zn supplementation with the same dose of zn for 21 postnatal days. The fluid consumption of each dam and each offspring rat was monitored daily. every rat during the whole period consumed about 66.15mg of pure zn. The offsprings were divided into three groups: prenatal zn group (18 rats), postnatal zn group (10 rats) and control group (14 rats). The FVeP recordings were made using the uTaS 1000 LkC electrophysiologically interfaced personal computer system (uSa), with Ganzfield stimulation in all groups every 5 min for 30 min. The decrease in the latencies and increase in the amplitudes of N1 and P1 waves were observed in both zn groups in comparison to the control, but only in the prenatal zn group were the changes statistically significant. The maternal zn supplementation may have a beneficial influence on visual cortical responses