Maternal high-fat diet during pregnancy or lactation changes the somatic and neurological development of the offspring

Author(s)

Mendes-da-Silva, Cristiano ^[1] ; Giriko, Catherine Assuka ^{[1, 2]} ; Mennitti, Lais Vales ^{[1, 2]} ; Hosoume, Lilian Fazion ^[1] ; Souto, Tayane dos Santos ^[1] ; da Silva, Alexandre Valotta ^{[3, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Biociencias, Santos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Santos, SP - Brazil

^[3] Hosp Israelita Albert Einstein, Inst Cerebro, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria; v. 72, n. 2, p. 136-144, FEB 2014.
• Web of Science Citations: 20

Abstract

The maternal exposure to high fat diet (HFD) during pregnancy and breastfeeding have been considered an important inducer of alterations in offspring normal programming, both in animals and humans, and may disturb brain development. In the present study we investigated the somatic and sensory-motor development of the offspring from rat dams fed a HFD, compared with dams fed a control diet, during pregnancy or lactation. Indicators of the body growth, physical maturation, and reflex ontogeny were evaluated. Offspring of dams fed a HFD showed reduced weight and body growth, delayed physical maturation, and delayed maturation of the physiological reflexes, such as vibrissa placing, auditory startle response, and free-fall righting. Our findings suggest that maternal HFD during pregnancy or lactation modifies somatic and neurological development of the offspring, possibly increasing the risk of neuroendocrine and neuropsychiatric disorders later in life. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/17577-3 - Effects of maternal high-fat pre-and postnatal diet on their adult offspring: study in behavioral models of depression, anxiety and aggression in rats
• Grantee: Lilian Fazion Hosoume
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• FAPESP's process: 11/17574-4 - Effects of different vegetable oils in the maternal diet during pregnancy on the somatic and sensory-motor development in neonates rats
• Grantee: Tayane dos Santos Souto
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• FAPESP's process: 11/15329-2 - MATERNAL HIGH FAT DIET DURING LACTATION: A NEURODEVELOPMENTAL AND MORFOBEHAVIORAL STUDY.
• Grantee: Catherine Ássuka Giriko
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master