High-Fat Diet Consumption Induces Neurobehavioral Abnormalities and Neuronal Morphological Alterations Accompanied by Excessive Microglial Activation in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex in Adolescent Mice
- Author: mycolabadmin
- 5/28/2023
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Summary
This study shows that eating a high-fat diet during the teenage years can harm brain development and mood in mice. The research found that high-fat diets led to anxiety and depression-like symptoms, along with shrinking brain structures and overactive immune cells in the brain. These findings suggest that teenagers should maintain healthy eating habits, as poor diet during adolescence may have long-lasting effects on mental health.
Background
Adolescence is a critical developmental period characterized by vulnerability to mental disorders, with the prefrontal cortex undergoing protracted maturation. High-fat diet consumption is prevalent among adolescents, yet its effects on prefrontal cortex function and related mechanisms remain unclear.
Objective
This study evaluated the effects of adolescent high-fat diet consumption on neurobehavior, pyramidal neuronal morphology, and microglial status in the medial prefrontal cortex of mice during late adolescence.
Results
High-fat diet-fed mice exhibited anxiety- and depression-like behavior with reduced dendritic complexity and altered spine morphology in the medial prefrontal cortex. Microglia showed hyperactivation with increased soma area, decreased territory area, and enhanced phagocytosis of synaptic material, reflected in increased microglial PSD95+ inclusions.
Conclusion
Adolescent high-fat diet consumption impairs prefrontal neuroplasticity and emotional behavior, with excessive microglial activation and aberrant synaptic pruning as potential contributing mechanisms. These findings suggest the importance of maintaining healthy dietary habits during neurodevelopment and identify microglia as potential therapeutic targets for diet-induced mood disorders.
- Published in:International Journal of Molecular Sciences,
- Study Type:Animal Research Study,
- Source: 37298345