Maternal high-fat diet in mice programs emotional behavior in adulthood

Maternal high-fat diet during pregnancy or lactation changes the somatic and neurological development of the offspring

“…Within this context, fetuses and newborns are increasingly exposed to maternal HFD which may cause problems in growth and brain deve lopment 4 . However, few stu dies ha ve investigated the effects of maternal HFD on the brain development of the offspring 5,6, particularly isolating or separating the periods of pregnancy and lactation. On the other hand, most studies have evalua ted the effects of maternal obesity or HFD intake along gestation and lactation, hindering the identification of the "best window" for altering developmental or physiological programming 7,8. In addition, according to epidemiological and experimental studies, nutritional status and/or maternal nutrition du ring prenatal and early postnatal periods play an important role in epigenetic mechanisms involved in the developmental origins of non-communicable disease, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disorders [9][10][11] , and phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental cues [9][10][11] .…”

“…On the other hand, most studies have evalua ted the effects of maternal obesity or HFD intake along gestation and lactation, hindering the identification of the "best window" for altering developmental or physiological programming 7,8. In addition, according to epidemiological and experimental studies, nutritional status and/or maternal nutrition du ring prenatal and early postnatal periods play an important role in epigenetic mechanisms involved in the developmental origins of non-communicable disease, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disorders [9][10][11] , and phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental cues [9][10][11] . Furthermore, recent studies have demonstrated that the offspring from dams fed chronically with an HFD during the pregnancy and/or lactation showed changes in the hippocampal development, with decreased neurogenesis, apoptosis and neuronal differentiation 5 , and also neurobehavioral changes related to the serotonergic and gabaergic neurotransmitter systems 6 . Therefore, dietary factors may produce synaptic changes during development, similar to neurotoxins, possibly contributing to the increased incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders 12 .…”

“…Accordingly, many authors have shown that the importance of maternal overnutrition for fetal and newborn brain development is increasingly recognized. Studies have suggested that maternal obesity or maternal exposure to HFDs, during pregnancy and lactation periods, may permanently alter brain structure and function in the offspring 5,6 and this change could affect the sensorymotor development.…”

Methyl Donors Supplementation Attenuates the Adverse Effects of Maternal High Fructose Diet of Offspring Emotional and Cognitive Behaviors

“…Thus, the anxiogenic effects observed in the off springs of dams fed to high-fat diet could be associated to hyper stimulation of 5-HT 1A receptor in the ventral part of hippocampus, well-known to regulate mood and anxiety [37] [38]. According to these authors, the GABA ergic system is also affected.…”

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hypersensitivity in female rats on a post-weaning high-fat diet after chronic mild stress

“…Exposure to a HFD at puberty increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and metabolic syndrome (1). Apart from atherosclerosis and obesity, HFD is also associated with neuroendocrine alterations (2).…”