Hypercaloric high-lipid diet and brain development: effects on cortical spreading depression in adult rats

Nutritional conditions early in life constitute one of the environmental factors that can influence brain electrophysiology, as evaluated through the phenomenon denominated as cortical spreading depression (CSD).

To evaluate the effects of hypercaloric diet intake in different phases of life on CSD features in adult rats.

Newborn Wistar rats were suckled by dams fed a high-lipid (cafeteria) hypercaloric diet during the lactation period. After suckling, part of the pups remained in the high-lipid diet until the end of the experiment in adulthood (group 'full-life' FL), and the other part received the control (lab chow) diet (group L). A third group received the hypercaloric diet only at adulthood (group Ad). When the animals reached 90-93 days of life, CSD was recorded.

CSD propagation velocities (in mm/minute) and CSD amplitudes (in mV) were reduced (P < 0.05) in the groups L (2.77 ± 0.07 and 7.1 ± 2.0 for velocity and amplitude, respectively) and FL (3.05 ± 0.17 and 8.5 ± 1.9), but not in the group Ad (3.36 ± 0.11 and 10.7 ± 2.0), in comparison with a control group (C), fed the lab chow diet during the entire life (3.52 ± 0.18 and 10.8 ± 2.2).

CSD velocity changes observed in adulthood were associated with the hypercaloric dietary treatment during brain development, constituting evidence in favor of permanent or at least long-lasting electrophysiological effects related to the prevailing nutritional status during the period of brain growth spurt.