Effects of palatable cafeteria diet on cognitive and noncognitive behaviors and brain neurotrophins’ levels in mice

Abstract

The consumption of palatable high-fat and high-sugar foods have increased dramatically over the past years. Overconsumption of calorically dense food contributes to increasing rates of overweight and obesity that are associated with psychiatry disorders, in particular mood and anxiety disorders. This study evaluated the impact of palatable cafeteria diet (CAF) intake on cognitive and noncognitive behaviors, as well as identified factors related to these behaviors through an evaluation of brain neurotrophic factor (BDNF, NGF, and GDNF) levels in hippocampus of mice. Male Swiss mice received two different diets during 13 weeks: standard chow (STA) and highly CAF. Posteriorly, forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST), plus-maze test (PMT), open-field tests (OFT), and object recognition task (ORT) were utilized as behavioral tests. In addition, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and nerve growth factor (NGF) neurotrophins' levels were evaluated in hippocampus of mice. The results demonstrated that mice from the CAF group showed a decrease in the immobility time in the FST and TST. Besides, mice in the CAF group spent more time in the open arms of the PMT. No significant differences were observed in the cognitive behaviors, which were evaluated in the OFT and ORT. In addition, the CAF group showed that BDNF and NGF protein levels increased in the hippocampus of mice. In conclusion, our data suggest that the consumption of palatable high-fat and high-sugar foods induces antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like behaviors, which can be related with BDNF and NGF expression increases in hippocampus of mice in the CAF group.

High‐fat diet feeding alters olfactory‐, social‐, and reward‐related behaviors of mice independent of obesity

“…Although there have been many reports examining the anxiety and depressive behaviors of DIO mice, the results have been inconsistent . This study also failed to note a robust emotional change in the DIO and HFD mice.…”

“…Although a number of studies have revealed obesity's effects on animal behaviors (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)18,19,(26)(27)(28), systematic investigations that dissociate the influence of HFD consumption from that of obesity have been lacking. This study showed that most of the sensorimotor, reward-related, and social behavioral changes of DIO mice also occur in HFD-fed nonobese mice.…”

Interplay Between the Gut-Brain Axis, Obesity and Cognitive Function

“…Chronic stress can also increase the consumption of food containing sugar and fat ingredients as a compensatory mechanism (comfort food) to reduce stress-related anxiety, which could lead to overeating and obesity long-term (Oliveira et al, 2015 ). In support of this hypothesis, other studies have shown that HFD administration to adult rats reduced anxiety (Leffa et al, 2015 ; McNeilly et al, 2015 ). A recent study also indicates that the combination of obesity (induced by diet) with chronic unpredictable mild stress (induced by unpredictable mild stressors like 8 h of food or water deprivation, confusing day and night, soaking the cage with water or horizontal oscillation for 20 min) induces depression and anxiety-like behaviors and the down-regulation of leptin/LepRb signaling (Yang et al, 2016 ).…”

Association Between Serum Levels of Vitamin D and the Risk of Post-Stroke Anxiety

“… 45 – 47 Studies in animals have identified that serum levels of nerve growth factor are related to inducing anxiolytic-like behaviors in mice. 48 …”