High-fat diet transition reduces brain DHA levels associated with altered brain plasticity and behaviour.
To assess how the shift from a healthy diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids to a diet rich in saturated fatty acid affects the substrates for brain plasticity and function, we used pregnant rats fed with omega-3 supplemented diet from their 2nd day of gestation period as well as their male pups for 12 weeks. Afterwards, the animals were randomly assigned to either a group fed on the same diet or a group fed on a high-fat diet (HFD) rich in saturated fats for 3 weeks. We found that the HFD increased vulnerability for anxiety-like behavior, and that these modifications harmonized with changes in the anxiety-related NPY1 receptor and the reduced levels of BDNF, and its signalling receptor pTrkB, as well as the CREB protein. Brain DHA contents were significantly associated with the levels of anxiety-like behavior in these rats.
Dept. Integrative Biology & Physiology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Sandeep
S
Sharma
Yumei
Y
Zhuang
Fernando
F
Gomez-Pinilla
D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020813:Receptor, trkB / Q000378:metabolism
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D004041:Dietary Fats; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D019922:GAP-43 Protein; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D020813:Receptor, trkB