Effects of protein gestational restriction on the number of cells and hippocampal neurogenesis in critical periods of development

• Grant number: 16/00711-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2016
• End date: May 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology
• Principal Investigator: Patrícia Aline Boer
• Grantee: Thaís Ortiz de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Nutritional changes in different degrees and periods of perinatal life considerably modify the development and maturation of key organs and tissues. These changes have shown obvious repercussions on the health of populations. Furthermore, alterations during embryonic and fetal development, might be one of the major causes of metabolic and endocrine diseases such as obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. This is due to changes in the ontogenetic development, linked to the planned demonstration of changes in the morphological and functional development of organs and systems. The brain is an extremely sensitive region to disturbances in the maternal environment and the first years of life. Thus, changes in the diet during critical periods pre and postnatal development can harm the brain. Such effects may be mediated by structural and functional abnormalities that can lead to various damage in adulthood, including obesity, metabolic disorders and cognitive deficits. The hippocampus is a structure that can be strongly affected by changes in the maternal environment. This structure has been the target of several studies due to its importance in neural plasticity and regulation of cognitive processes. Bearing in mind the evidence that events during pregnancy are involved with the incidence of several diseases in adulthood, it is appropriate to conduct studies that seek a greater understanding of these effects on the CNS and its consequences on the hippocampal region. Thus, this project aims to study the effects of gestational protein restriction on hippocampal neurogenesis in rats at critical periods of development.