Calorie restriction (CR) has been considered the most effective non-pharmacological intervention to counteract aging-related diseases and improve longevity. This intervention has shown beneficial effects in the prevention and treatment of several chronic diseases and functional declines related to aging, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and neuroendocrine disorders. However, the effects of CR on cognition show controversial results since its effects vary according to intensity, duration, and the period of CR. This review focuses on the main studies published in the last ten years regarding the consequences of CR on cognition in different neurological diseases and conditions of experimental animals. Also, possible CR mimetics are discussed. These findings highlight the potential beneficial effects of CR of up to 40 % on cognition when started early in life in non human animals.

Doutor em Engenharia e Gestão do Conhecimento (UFSC). Pós-Doutor em Gestão do Conhecimento (UFSC). Docente, pesquisado e orientador do Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação da Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe (UNIARP).

No abstract

AAs became popular among competitive athletes and the general population for recreational and performance purposes. The indiscriminate use of AAs occurs in supraphysiological doses and negatively affects cognition.   Moreover, nandrolone decanoate (DECA) abuse may reduce the beneficial effects of resistance training (RT) on health. Objective: We aimed to investigate if DECA administration in supraphysiological doses interferes with the positive effects of RT on anxious behavior, memory, and morphology of neurons in the hippocampus of rats. Materials and Methods: Rats were randomly assigned into four groups (N= 12): Control (C); DECA (D); Trained (T) Trained+DECA (TD). EAA DECA was administered in daily supraphysiological doses of 15mg/kg during the 8 weeks of the RT protocol. All groups performed a maximum load test before and after the RT protocol; anxious behavior and memory tests were performed, and thereafter, rats were euthanized for morphologic analyses of the hippocampus.  DECA produced an anxiogenic effect, worsened cognition and reduced the thickness of the grainy layer of the DG in the hippocampus. Moreover, DECA reduced the positive effects of RT on cognition and DG neurons. This is the first study showing that suprapharmacological doses of DECA reduce the positive effects of RT on memory and the thickness of the granular layer of the DG.

Blackberry leaves (Morus nigra) are used in menopause to relieve hot flashes and night sweats and have been investigated in metabolic disorders. However, few studies investigated its effects on metabolic and behavioral disorders when associated with menopause. This study evaluated the effects of a hydroalcoholic extract of M. nigra leaves (MN) on body composition, glucose tolerance, and depression and anxiety-like behaviors in ovariectomized rats. For this purpose, 36 female Wistar rats were divided into groups: C – control; COvx – ovariectomized; MNOvx – ovariectomized and given MN at 400 mg.kg-1 body mass/day. Body composition was assessed by DEXA, glucose tolerance by the oral glucose tolerance test, and depression and anxiety-like behaviors by the forced swimming and elevated plus maze tests, respectively. Food intake and body mass gain were higher for MNOvx, followed by COvx and C (p<0.05). The MNOvx group gained less body fat than COvx (p<0.05) and was more glucose tolerant compared to C and COvx (p<0.05). In the elevated plus maze, COvx and MNOvx remained for less time in the open arms and longer in the closed arms than C (p<0.05). In forced swimming, immobility time was higher for COvx, followed by C and MNOvx (p<0.05). The MN protected ovariectomized rats from body fat gain, improved glucose tolerance, and attenuated depression-like behavior. Phytoestrogens and other bioactive compounds in MN may be involved in these effects.

Heat stress (HS) affects the reproduction of many species, causing subfertility by reducing gametogenesis. This study assessed the effect of HS at different stages of pregnancy in C57BL/6J mice on the somatic development and reproductive parameters of F1 females. A total of 40 females and 40 males aged between 5 and 6 weeks old were mated (1:1). After mating confirmation (vaginal plug presence) the females were subjected to HS during pregnancy in the first half (FP, from Day 1 to 10; n=10), the second half (SP, from Day 11 to delivery; n=10), or the total pregnancy (TP, n=10). A control group (C, n=10) was maintained in normothermic conditions (25°C, 45% relative humidity) throughout the experiment. The HS was induced (41°C for 2h daily) in an environmental chamber heated by 2 red lamps. After delivery, birthweight was recorded and somatic development of the F1 females was monitored weekly until 8 weeks of age. They were superovulated with 5IU of equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) and 5IU of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) 48h later and mated with control F1 males in four groups: FP×C; SP×C; TP×C; and C×C, female and male, respectively. At 72h after mating confirmation, uterine flushing was performed with 0.5mL of phosphate-buffered saline + 0.4% bovine serum albumin and embryos classified. Ovaries were collected for histological analysis of the follicular population with the formula: follicles per ovary×n section×section thickness/n section observed×average diameter of the oocyte nucleus. Pregnancy rate was analysed by chi-squared test. Data of pups born per female, birthweight, somatic development, follicular population, total and viable structures recovered by female were tested for normality by the Shapiro-Wilk test, before ANOVA and Tukey test. Values of P&lt;0.05 were considered to indicate a difference and P&lt;0.10a tendency. No difference (P&gt;0.05) among groups was detected in pregnancy rate (C=80; FP=40; SP=60; TP=60%) or in the number of pups born per female (C=7.0±1.0; FP=6.0±1.5; SP=6.5±1.5; TP=5.1±1.5). Birthweight was lower (P&lt;0.05) for FP (1.1g) and TP (1.2g) than for C (2.2g) and SP (1.8g). However, this difference disappeared (P&gt;0.05) in the third week of development and remained similar until the eighth week (C=21.0; FP=20.4, SP=20.3, TP=20.0g). Similar (P&gt;0.05) follicular population by ovary (total, primordial, primary, secondary, and antral) was observed between the C and HS groups. However, among HS groups, the total number of follicles and number of primordial follicles, respectively, were lower (P&lt;0.05) in the FP (1623; 942) compared with SP (2735; 1918) and TP (2626; 2352); with no difference in primary, secondary, and antral follicles. This resulted in similar (P&gt;0.05) total number of structures recovered by females (C=11.8±5.0, FP=7.6±2.4, SP=10.8±5.5, TP=6.9±3.1), with a tendency (P=0.06) to fewer viable embryos in TP (4.3±2.7) compared with C (9.5±4.6). Considering the increasing global temperature, it is imperative to understand the effects of HS on animal reproductive capacity. In conclusion, gestational HS impaired mice intrauterine development and changed the ovarian follicular population in the F1 generation.