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Published on: October 13, 2018
Influence of HFD-induced precocious puberty on neurodevelopment in mice
Tingbei Bo1,2, Jing Wen3, Wenting Gao1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
Insights
High fat diets can cause precocious puberty in mice, leading to increased risk-taking behavior and impaired memory. These neurodevelopmental effects may be irreversible, highlighting the importance of avoiding such diets in childhood.
Area of Science:
- Neuroendocrinology
- Developmental Biology
- Behavioral Neuroscience
Background:
- Obesity is linked to precocious puberty, impacting growth and reproduction.
- The neurodevelopmental consequences of precocious puberty remain largely unexplored.
- Investigating the impact of diet-induced precocious puberty on brain development is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the neurodevelopmental and behavioral effects of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced precocious puberty in an animal model.
- To understand the long-term neurological consequences of early-onset puberty driven by HFD.
Main Methods:
- High-fat diet (HFD) was used to induce precocious puberty in mice.
- Behavioral assessments included elevated plus maze, open field exploration, Y-Maze, marble burying, and novelty-suppressed feeding tests.
- Ovarian histology, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot were employed to analyze physiological and molecular changes.
Main Results:
- HFD-induced precocious puberty increased risk-taking behavior and reduced memory in mice.
- Hypothalamic levels of Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and Arginine vasopressin (AVP) were elevated in the HFD group.
- Despite partial physiological recovery on a normal diet, adult mice exhibited increased anxiety and persistent memory deficits.
Conclusions:
- The mouse brain is sensitive to HFD-induced precocious puberty, with potentially irreversible neurodevelopmental damage.
- Early-life HFD exposure can lead to lasting behavioral and cognitive impairments.
- Avoiding HFD in childhood is critical for preventing precocious puberty and associated neurodevelopmental issues.
Background:
Precocious puberty is frequently associated with obesity, which will lead to long-term effects, especially on growth and reproduction. However, the effect of precocious puberty on children's neurodevelopment is still unknown.
Objectives:
Here we evaluated the effect of High fat diet (HFD)-induced precocious puberty on neurodevelopment and behaviors of animals.
Methods:
Ovaries sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) using standard techniques. Behavioral tests included elevated plus maze (EPM), open field exploration, Y-Maze, marble burying test, and novelty- suppressed feeding. The expression of genes related to puberty and neural development was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.
Results:
Our results showed HFD-induced precocious puberty increased the risk-taking behavior and decreased memory of mice. The content of Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and Arginine vasopressin (AVP) in hypothalamus were higher in HFD group than control group. Although the recovery of normal diet will gradually restore the body fat and other physiological index of mice, the anxiety increases in adult mice, and the memory is also damaged.
Conclusions:
These findings describe the sensitivity of mice brain to HFD-induced precocious puberty and the irrecoverability of neural damage caused by precocious puberty. Therefore, avoiding HFD in childhood is important to prevent precocious puberty and neurodevelopmental impairment in mice.
