title: Increased palatable food intake and response to food cues in intrauterine growth-restricted rats are related to tyrosine hydroxylase content in the orbitofrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens.
abstract: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with altered food preferences, which may contribute to increased risk of obesity. We evaluated the effects of IUGR on attention to a palatable food cue, as well as tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) content in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAcc) in response to sweet food intake. From day 10 of gestation and through lactation, Sprague-Dawley rats received either an ad libitum (Adlib) or a 50% food-restricted (FR) diet. At birth, pups were cross-fostered, generating four groups (gestation/lactation): Adlib/Adlib (control), FR/Adlib (intrauterine growth-restricted), Adlib/FR, and FR/FR. Adult attention to palatable food cues was measured using the Attentional Set-Shifting Task (ASST), which uses a sweet pellet as reward. TH content in the OFC and NAcc was measured at baseline and in response to palatable food intake. At 90 days of age, FR/Adlib males ate more sweet food than controls, without differences in females. However, when compared to Controls, FR/Adlib females needed fewer trials to reach criterion in the ASST (p=0.04) and exhibited increased TH content in the OFC in response to sweet food (p=0.03). In the NAcc, there was a differential response of TH content after sweet food intake in both FR/Adlib males and females (p<0.05). Fetal programming of adult food preferences involves the central response to palatable food cues and intake, affecting dopamine release in select structures of the brain reward system.
authors: Graduate Program in Neurosciences, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Electronic address: m.bonesso@gmail.com.
authors: Márcio Bonesso
authors: MB
authors: Alves
authors: Graduate Program in Child and Adolescent Health, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre/Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors: Roberta
authors: R
authors: Dalle Molle
authors: Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Laboratories, Torrance, CA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors: Mina
authors: M
authors: Desai
authors: Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Laboratories, Torrance, CA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors: Michael G
authors: MG
authors: Ross
authors: Graduate Program in Neurosciences, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Child and Adolescent Health, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre/Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors: Patrícia Pelufo
authors: PP
authors: Silveira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention; D001835:Body Weight; D003463:Cues; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009043:Motor Activity; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000378:metabolism*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase
keywords: Attention; Dopamine; Feeding; Fetal growth restriction; Rats