Changes in Brain Weight, Cholesterol, Phospholipid, and DNA Content in Marasmic Children

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Abstract
Wet weight, dry weight, cholesterol, phospholipid, and DNA content were all reduced in the brains of nine children who died of severe undernutrition. The reductions were proportional during the 1st year of life. By contrast, DNA was reduced less than the other parameters during the 2nd year of life. The data are interpreted to indicate a reduction in the number of cells, each containing a normal amount of protein and lipids, during the 1st year. During the 2nd year, the size of the remaining cells is reduced. This reduced size is a consequence of both reduced protein content and reduced lipid content per cell. The proportional reduction of protein and lipid suggests the possibility that the reduced cell size may be accompanied by a reduction in the size of the cell processes.