Search

The aim of this study was to investigate whether maternal cafeteria ingestion interferes with long-term memory-related behaviors and hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling in the offspring, and if there is a cumulative effect with the exposure to cafeteria diet during the life-course of the pups. Female rats were fed a control (CON, n = 20) or cafeteria diet (CAF, n = 24) from their weaning to weaning of their offspring. After that, their male offspring were divided into 4 groups (CON-CON, n = 36; CON-CAF, n = 38, CAF-CON, n = 46 and CAF-CAF, n = 39) so that all litters ingested CON or CAF, irrespective of maternal diet. At 30 days of age, all groups exposed to cafeteria diet at some stage in life showed a decline in performance on one or both object recognition and inhibitory avoidance tasks. At 120 days, CON-CAF and CAF-CAF groups continued to show memory impairment. There were no significant differences between groups in the hippocampal concentrations of BDNF and cAMP Response Element Binding protein (CREB) in puberty or adulthood, but the concentration of hippocampal Ras-Raf-MEK-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was higher in CAF-CAF pubescent offspring when compared to the CON-CON group. These data suggest that maternal diet affects the behavior and the molecular signaling related to long-term memory of the offspring, and that its effects are influenced by postnatal diet., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)