title: Sex-dependent cognitive performance in baboon offspring following maternal caloric restriction in pregnancy and lactation.
abstract: In humans a suboptimal diet during development has negative outcomes in offspring. We investigated the behavioral outcomes in baboons born to mothers undergoing moderate maternal nutrient restriction (MNR). Maternal nutrient restriction mothers (n = 7) were fed 70% of food eaten by controls (CTR, n = 12) fed ad libitum throughout gestation and lactation. At 3.3 ± 0.2 (mean ± standard error of the mean [SEM]) years of age offspring (controls: female [FC, n = 8], male [MC, n = 4]; nutrient restricted: female [FR, n = 3] and male [MR, n = 4]) were administered progressive ratio, simple discrimination, intra-/extra-dimension set shift and delayed matching to sample tasks to assess motivation, learning, attention, and working memory, respectively. A treatment effect was observed in MNR offspring who demonstrated less motivation and impaired working memory. Nutrient-restricted female offspring showed improved learning, while MR offspring showed impaired learning and attentional set shifting and increased impulsivity. In summary, 30% restriction in maternal caloric intake has long lasting neurobehavioral outcomes in adolescent male baboon offspring.
authors.affiliation: Center for Pregnancy and Newborn Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA. rodriguezj13@uthscsa.edu
authors.forename: Jesse S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Thad Q
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.forename: Kathryn E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Keenan
authors.forename: Peter W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Nathanielsz
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nijland
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D031204:Caloric Restriction / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D009042:Motivation; D010215:Papio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000662:veterinary*; D012727:Sex Characteristics