Behavioral effects of bovine lactoferrin administration during postnatal development of rats
Jason Shumake1, Douglas W Barrett, Michelle A Lane
1Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton Stop A8000, Austin, TX, 78712-1043, USA, shumake@utexas.edu.
Insights
Bovine lactoferrin (bLf) given to developing rats improved their performance on stressful tasks. Supplemented rats showed reduced anxiety, better memory, and faster escape responses, suggesting bLf enhances cognitive function under stress.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Bovine lactoferrin (bLf) is a protein found in milk with potential neuroprotective properties.
- Postnatal development is a critical period for brain maturation and vulnerability to environmental factors.
- Stressful experiences during development can have long-lasting effects on cognitive function and behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of bovine lactoferrin (bLf) supplementation during postnatal development on adolescent rats' performance in stressful behavioral tasks.
- To determine if bLf influences anxiety-like behavior, memory, neophobia, and stress coping mechanisms.
- To explore dose-dependent effects and sex differences in response to bLf.
Main Methods:
- Rats received daily oral administration of bLf (750 mg/kg) between postnatal days 16-34.
- Behavioral testing included open field, light-dark emergence, baited holeboard, food neophobia, forced swim, and shuttle-box escape tests.
- A second study examined dose-response effects (500, 1000, 2000 mg/kg) on escape-swim and shuttle-box tests.
Main Results:
- bLf-supplemented rats exhibited reduced exploration in risky environments and increased preference for familiar food odors.
- Faster escape responses were observed in the shuttle-box test.
- Sex-specific effects were noted in the forced swim test, with increased immobility in males and decreased in females.
- In the second study, males showed a dose-dependent improvement in acquiring the water-escape task, mastering it 20-25% faster at higher doses.
Conclusions:
- Bovine lactoferrin (bLf) supplementation during postnatal development may enhance cognitive performance and stress coping abilities in adolescent rats.
- The effects of bLf appear to be dose-dependent and sex-specific, particularly in learning and memory tasks.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying bLf's neurodevelopmental effects and its potential therapeutic applications.
Abstract:
We tested the hypothesis that rats consuming bovine lactoferrin (bLf) during postnatal development would show better performance of stressful tasks during adolescence. In the first study, we orally administered bLf (750 mg/kg) once daily between postnatal days 16-34. Rats then underwent a battery of behavioral tests: open field (forced exploration of risky environment), light-dark emergence (voluntary exploration of risky environment), baited holeboard (working and reference memory), food neophobia (preference for familiar versus novel food), forced swim (test for antidepressant efficacy), and shuttle-box escape (learning to escape footshock). bLf-supplemented rats showed less exploration of the risky environment, greater preference for the familiar food odor, and faster escape responses. The effect of bLf on forced-swim behavior depended on sex: immobility increased for males and decreased for females. In the next study, we replaced the forced-swim test with an escape-swim test in which rats learned to use a visual cue to locate an escape platform, and we tested the dose response of bLf on this and the shuttle-box escape test, with subjects receiving vehicle or bLf at 500, 1,000, or 2,000 mg/kg. Under this modified testing battery, improvement of escape from footshock was not observed at any dose. However, males, but not females, showed a significant dose-dependent effect of bLf on acquisition of the water-escape task. On average, males receiving a higher dose mastered the task 20-25 % sooner than rats receiving a lower dose or vehicle. These results offer preliminary evidence that bLf supplementation during development can improve subsequent cognitive performance during stress.
