High-fat diet triggers transcriptomic changes in the olfactory bulb.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Metabolic Disorders
• Genomics

Background:

• Metabolic imbalance is linked to cognitive and mood disorders.
• Olfactory dysfunction is observed in obesity and diabetes, potentially affecting memory consolidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate transcriptomic alterations in the olfactory bulb of mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD).
• To identify molecular pathways affected by HFD in the olfactory bulb.

Main Methods:

• RNA sequencing of olfactory bulb tissue from HFD-fed and control mice.
• Measurement of mRNA levels in olfactory bulb tissue.
• Assessment of plasma cytokine levels in HFD-fed mice.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in protein-coding and non-coding RNA expression were observed in the olfactory bulb of HFD-fed mice.
• Affected pathways include insulin and lipid metabolism, neurogenesis, and neurotransmitter signaling (serotonin, dopamine, GABA).

Conclusions:

• HFD-induced metabolic changes impact olfactory bulb molecular pathways.
• Findings suggest potential therapeutic targets for olfactory dysfunction and associated neural disorders in metabolic syndrome.