Chemokine expression characterization in the hypothalamus of mice fed a high-fat diet for short and long periods

• Grant number: 23/11393-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2023
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Licio Augusto Velloso
• Grantee: Alexia Guimarães Batista Augusto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07607-8 - OCRC - Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, AP.CEPID

Abstract

In obesity, chemotaxis of immune cells towards various tissues is observed. In mice, a few daysafter the introduction of a high-fat diet (HFD), an inflammatory response is initiated in thehypothalamus. Data from the literature indicate that monocyte chemotaxis towards this regionobserved after some weeks, in the chronic phase of inflammation. However, it has not yet beenelucidated in which phase of this inflammation the consumption of HFD alters the expression ofchemokines in the hypothalamic parenchyma, nor whether this occurs differently between thesexes. In this project we will evaluate the expression of chemokines in the hypothalamus of maleand female mice fed a HFD for short and long periods. This study will contribute to obtainunpublished data on the profile of chemokines in the hypothalamus against different times ofexposure to HFD and to advance in the characterization of biomarkers that predispose thedevelopment of infectious and inflammatory diseases, such as obesity and its comorbidities,from the beginning of life.