Exposure to a maternal cafeteria diet changes open-field behaviour in the developing offspring.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• The early postnatal period is critical for behavioral system development in rodents.
• The impact of maternal high-energy diets during lactation on offspring behavior is not well understood.
• Cafeteria diets (CD) are high in sugars and fats, leading to overconsumption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the behavioral effects of maternal cafeteria diet (CD) feeding during lactation on offspring in early adolescence.
• To assess exploration and anxiety-related behaviors in offspring exposed to the open-field and elevated plus-maze.
• To examine maternal behaviors in dams fed a CD during lactation.

Main Methods:

• Wistar dams were fed a cafeteria diet (CD) during lactation.
• Offspring were tested at 23 days old in the open-field and elevated plus-maze.
• Maternal behaviors, including licking/grooming, were assessed on postnatal day 9.

Main Results:

• Offspring from CD-fed dams exhibited increased locomotor activity in the open-field test.
• These offspring showed reduced latency to enter the inner zone and spent more time there, indicating reduced anxiety in this context.
• Anxiety-related behavior was not significantly altered in the elevated plus-maze.
• Increased maternal licking/grooming was observed in CD-fed dams.

Conclusions:

• Lactational overfeeding with a cafeteria diet impacts the behavioral development of early adolescent rats.
• The observed anxiolytic-like effect in the open-field test may be partly mediated by increased maternal care.
• Dietary interventions during lactation can have lasting effects on offspring behavior.