BRAIN LESIONS OBESITY AND OTHER DISTURBANCES IN MICE TREATED WITH MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE

In newborn mice subcutaneous injections of monosodium glutamate induced acute neuronal necrosis in several regions of developing brain including the hypothalamus. As adults, treated animals showed stunted skeletal development, marked obesity, and female sterility. Pathological changes were also found in several organs associated wvith endocrine function. Studies of food consumption failed to demonstrate hyperphagia to explain the obesity. It is postulated that the adult syndrome represents a multifaceted neuroendocrine disturbance arising from the disruption of developing neural centers concerned in the mediation of endocrine function.