Maternal high-fat diet in mice programs emotional behavior in adulthood

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Maternal Health

Background:

• The maternal environment critically influences fetal development and long-term brain function.
• Maternal malnutrition is linked to physiological and behavioral changes, including anxiety disorders.
• Key neurochemical systems like GABA, serotonin, and neurotrophins are sensitive to developmental influences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of maternal high-fat diet (HFD) on offspring anxiety-related behaviors.
• To assess exploration and conditioned fear responses in offspring exposed to maternal HFD.
• To examine changes in hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotransmitter receptors (GABA(A) α2, 5-HT1A).

Main Methods:

• Maternal rats were fed either a HFD or a control diet for nine weeks (pre-gestation, gestation, lactation).
• Adult offspring behavior was assessed using anxiety-related tests, exploration tasks, and conditioned fear paradigms.
• Hippocampal tissue was analyzed for BDNF levels and GABA(A) α2 and 5-HT1A receptor expression.

Main Results:

• Offspring of HFD mothers exhibited significantly increased anxiety-like behaviors compared to controls.
• Exploratory behavior and conditioned fear responses remained intact in offspring from HFD mothers.
• Maternal HFD led to increased dorsal hippocampal BDNF and increased ventral hippocampal GABA(A) α2 and 5-HT1A receptor levels.

Conclusions:

• Maternal HFD consumption during critical developmental periods can program offspring for increased anxiety.
• The observed neurochemical changes in the hippocampus may underlie the heightened anxiety-like behaviors.
• These findings highlight the role of maternal diet in fetal neurodevelopment and long-term mental health risk.