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Western diet consumption impairs memory function via dysregulated hippocampus acetylcholine signaling
Anna M R Hayes1, Logan Tierno Lauer1, Alicia E Kao1
1Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
|March 10, 2024
Summary
Early life Western diet intake causes lasting hippocampus dysfunction and memory deficits by disrupting acetylcholine signaling. A healthy diet intervention did not reverse these long-term effects.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Nutritional Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
Background:
- Early life consumption of Western diets (WD) is linked to impaired memory, especially hippocampus-dependent functions.
- Long-lasting hippocampus dysfunction can result from early-life dietary insults.
- Acetylcholine (ACh) signaling dysregulation is a known factor in memory impairments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neurobiological mechanisms behind long-lasting hippocampus dysfunction caused by early life WD.
- To establish a rodent model for studying the effects of juvenile and adolescent WD on memory and hippocampus function.
- To explore the role of acetylcholine signaling in WD-induced memory deficits.
Main Methods:
- Rats were fed a Western diet (cafeteria-style) or standard chow during juvenile/adolescent stages.
- Behavioral and metabolic assessments were conducted before and after a healthy diet intervention.
- Protein markers of ACh tone, in vivo fiber photometry for ACh release, and neuropharmacological interventions were used to examine hippocampus function.
Main Results:
- Early life WD consumption led to persistent hippocampus-dependent memory impairments, even after a healthy diet intervention.
- Reduced vesicular ACh transporter protein levels in the hippocampus indicated chronically reduced ACh tone in WD-fed rats.
- ACh release during novelty recognition was disrupted in WD-fed rats and highly predictive of memory performance.
- Administering an alpha 7 nicotinic ACh receptor agonist rescued memory deficits in WD-fed rats.
Conclusions:
- Early life Western diet intake establishes long-lasting disruptions in hippocampus acetylcholine signaling.
- This dysregulation of ACh signaling is a key mechanism underlying Western diet-associated memory impairments.
- Targeting acetylcholine signaling pathways may offer therapeutic potential for mitigating cognitive deficits from early-life dietary habits.
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