Palatable cafeteria diet ameliorates anxiety and depression-like symptoms following an adverse early environment

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Science
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Early life stress, such as maternal separation (MS), significantly impacts long-term behavioral and stress responses.
• Palatable foods are known to mitigate stress responses, suggesting a potential therapeutic role.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of a palatable high-fat diet (HFD) on behavioral and neuroendocrine changes induced by early life stress (maternal separation) in rats.
• To determine if HFD can ameliorate depression- and anxiety-like behaviors and alter stress-related gene expression following early life stress.

Main Methods:

• Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to prolonged (S180) or brief (S15) maternal separation or non-handling (NH) from postnatal days 2-14.
• Post-weaning, pups received either a high-fat diet (HFD) or standard chow.
• Depression-like behavior (sucrose preference test), anxiety-like behavior (elevated plus maze), plasma corticosterone, hypothalamic CRH, and hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression were assessed.

Main Results:

• Prolonged maternal separation (S180) induced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, increased corticosterone and hypothalamic CRH, and decreased hippocampal GR expression.
• These adverse effects were normalized by HFD, with greater benefits observed in males.
• Brief separation (S15) did not show benefits from HFD, while non-handled (NH) males also benefited from HFD.

Conclusions:

• Early life stress-induced behavioral deficits and neuroendocrine alterations can be ameliorated by consuming a palatable high-fat diet.
• Palatable food, like HFD, plays a significant role in reducing central stress responses, highlighting its therapeutic potential as 'comfort food'.