title: Early effects of a high-caloric diet and physical exercise on brain volumetry and behavior: a combined MRI and histology study in mice.
abstract: Excessive intake of high-caloric diets as well as subsequent development of obesity and diabetes mellitus may exert a wide range of unfavorable effects on the central nervous system (CNS) in the long-term. The potentially harmful effects of such diets were suggested to be mitigated by physical exercise. Here, we conducted a study investigating early effects of a cafeteria-diet on gray and white brain matter volume by means of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and region-of-interest (ROI) analysis. Half of the mice performed voluntary wheel running to study if regular physical exercise prevents unfavorable effects of a cafeteria-diet. In addition, histological analyses for myelination and neurogenesis were performed. As expected, wheel running resulted in a significant increase of gray matter volume in the CA1-3 areas, the dentate gyrus and stratum granulosum of the hippocampus in the VBM analysis, while a positive effect of the cafeteria-diet was shown for the whole hippocampal CA1-3 area only in the ROI analysis, indicating a regional volume effect. It was earlier found that hippocampal neurogenesis may be related to volume increases after exercise. Interestingly, while running resulted in a significant increase in neurogenesis assessed by doublecortin (DCX)-labeling, this was not true for cafeteria diet. This indicates different underlying mechanisms for gray matter increase. Moreover, animals receiving cafeteria diet only showed mild deficits in long-term memory assessed by the puzzle-box paradigm, while executive functioning and short term memory were not affected. Our data therefore highlight that high caloric diet impacts on the brain and behavior. Physical exercise seems not to interact with these mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: RG Translational Imaging, Department Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sack
authors.affiliation: RG Clinical Neuroendocrinology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstrasse 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Jenny N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Lenz
authors.affiliation: RG Molecular Neurogenetics, Department Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstrasse 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jakovcevski
authors.affiliation: RG Translational Imaging, Department Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany.|Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Sarah V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Biedermann
authors.affiliation: RG Translational Imaging, Department Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Falfán-Melgoza
authors.affiliation: RG Molecular Neurogenetics, Department Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstrasse 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deussing
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Research Unit, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, 80336, Germany.
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bielohuby
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Research Unit, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, 80336, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bidlingmaier
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephropathology, Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, 91054, Germany.
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pfister
authors.affiliation: RG Clinical Neuroendocrinology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstrasse 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Günter K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Stalla
authors.affiliation: RG Translational Imaging, Department Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sartorius
authors.affiliation: RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gass
authors.affiliation: RG Translational Imaging, Department Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weber-Fahr
authors.affiliation: RG Animal Models in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, 68159, Germany.|Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fuss
authors.affiliation: RG Clinical Neuroendocrinology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstrasse 2-10, 80804, Munich, Germany. mauer@mpipsykl.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Matthias K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Auer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000089622:Doublecortin Domain Proteins; D000089662:Doublecortin Protein; D056344:Executive Function; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; C000714847:Dcx protein, mouse; D000089622:Doublecortin Domain Proteins; D000089662:Doublecortin Protein; D007328:Insulin; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides
keywords: Cognition; Diabetes; Exercise; Grey matter; Obesity; Voxel-based morphometry; White matter